Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) appointed Dino Bernacchi to the newly-created position of chief marketing officer for U.S. operations, effective May 1.
In the role, Bernacchi will be based out of the company’s Irvine, California headquarters and report to MNAO president, CEO and global CMO Masahiro Moro. Bernacchi will be responsible for overseeing Mazda’s brand communications in the U.S., “examining every touch point that affects a customer’s interaction with Mazda, from the earliest discovery phase of new-car shopping, through the research and purchase, to ownership and ultimately through to repurchase, and developing an overarching strategy to deliver clear, precise, consistent messages that support the Mazda Premium brand vision,” according to a press release.
Vice president, marketing Russell Wager will continue overseeing external communications and report to Bernacchi.
“The need to hone our company’s focus as a provider of exceptional customer experiences at every touchpoint with our brand, through our communications, with our vehicles and handled by our network of Mazda dealerships, has never been more clear,” Moro said in a statement.
“As customer tastes and expectations change, and Mazda moves itself to a new, more premium, position in the industry, it is critical that Mazda be laser-focused in our approach to how we tell our proud brand story at every touchpoint in the customer’s journey with us,” he added. “Dino’s leadership experience in doing exactly that in the past is why he is perfectly suited for this role at Mazda.”
Bernacchi arrives at Mazda with over 23 years of marketing communications experience, most recently serving as director of U.S. marketing for Harley-Davidson Motor Company. His previous experience includes stints at General Motors and Campbell Ewald, where he helped manage the Chevy business.
WPP’s Garage Team Mazda has handled U.S. advertising duties for the brand since 2010. The agency recently welcomed Erich Funke as chief creative officer, following the departure of former CCO Harvey Marco, who led the unit since its 2010 inception, last fall.