A seasoned media executive with over twenty years of diverse account and client management experience in advertising, marketing, online media, emerging technologies, and publishing, Mr. Herman is currently Vice President, Direct/Media at Digitas, the leading digital agency in the country. In this unique position, he has been strategically embedded at MediaVest as the Digital Sector Director on Kraft Beverages. The newly created role was mandated by Kraft in order to ensure digital marketing is at the core of all strategic decisions and thoroughly integrated in all offline media opportunities.
Prior to this, Mr. Herman three years as Senior Partner, Integrated Media Director of Mediacom, he served for directed four planning teams on over $150MM in offline, online and direct response media for such prestigious brands as Orbitz, Hasbro, Century 21 and Wyndham Worldwide Hotels. Concurrently, he lead multiple agency teams in channel planning, used econometric modeling to develop the strategic media direction for each brand and was a strong advocate for testing and including emerging technologies to reach the ever evolving fragmented audience.
Prior to joining MediaCom, he was Marketing Director and Vice President, Operations of MediaPost Communications and Managing Editor of MEDIA magazine, the first monthly publication to address online marketing and digital media from a planning and buying perspective.
From this position, he was on the cutting edge of innovative thinking on all issues of media and advertising, discovering the many possibilities to engage and communicate with consumers. Additionally he spearheaded thedesign of MediaPost's advertising-specific directories, MPlanner – the first interactive web-based flowchart tool, and immediabuy – an innovative bidding system for buying online advertising online.
Lastly, he spent twelve years as Media Director for several prominent New York advertising agencies gaining broad management experience to both confidently lead staff and successfully grow the agency business.
His senior media management positions include vice president, media director of The Romann Group and senior vice president of strategic planning, database and media services for Warren/Kremer/CMP Advertising, and media director for Marti Flores Prieto & Wachtel, focusing on travel and tourism to Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, Virgin Islands and Aruba.
Mr. Herman spent the early part of his career in traditional advertising management positions with Macy's, Grey Advertising, and Waring and LaRosa Advertising.
Mr. Herman also sits on the board of trustees for Greenwich Reform Synagogue in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Ms. Herman is a seasoned corporate designer who will take your project from concept to completion. She creates innovative websites, corporate communications, newsletters and marketing materials. She has extensive experience in managing the design, construction, delivery and installation of speciality items, such as trade show booths, furniture, signage, lighting and graphics. Ms. Herman has worked for over twenty years in the field of corporate design and has planned and designed office space for fashion designers, advertising agencies, private clubs, hotels and condominiums.
Ms. Herman co-founded Creative Direct Solutions, Inc. in 1995, after anticipating technology's impact in the areas of design and project planning and management. She saw the need to offer each client a comprehensive approach integrating technology with a strong focus on design, management and servicing project needs.
Ms. Herman has over two decades of experience in design and project management. Prior to founding Creative Direct Solutions, Inc., she was the in-house designer for a Long Island developer building The Wyndham East and West Condominiums and Health Club in Garden City, NY.
Her career advanced to senior design and project management positions with Cannon Architects, Mancini-Duffy Inc., and Orsini Design Associates. Projects included Trust Company of the West offices in New York City, Houston, TX and San Francisco, CA; NOAA National Weather Service site offices across the US; KPMG offices in Stamford, CT and Providence, RI; Chanel, Inc.; Calvin Klein, Inc.; The New York Athletic Club and The Ledges in Groton, a $33 million, 25 acre development in Groton, CT.
Ms. Herman's work has been published in the following magazines:
To learn more about how the new rules for media impact your business, please contact Karen Herman at karenherman@cds-ct.com or 203.536.8830. All inquiries are strictly confidential.
