1. J O S E P H R . R U T L E D G E
286 Ly o n s pla in R O A D • w eST O N , C O N N EC T IC U T 0 6883
jo e@ blit z en ven t u r es.c o m • 20 3-767-10 77
P R O F I L E
Recognized by THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, ADVERTISING AGE and INTEGRATED MARKETING as one of America’s
most innovative and accomplished Marketing and Communications leaders. Architect of several of America’s most
successful and well-known consumer media, marketing, public relations, social media, public policy, brand and
business development initiatives.
Among the profession’s few members who have achieved success as both a Chief Marketing Officer, Chief
Communications Officer and overall growth strategist -- for NBC, General Mills, Walker-Digital/Priceline.com and
Grandparents.com.
Former Congressional Chief of Staff and frequent advisor to political leaders and organizations since then,
specializing in the development of uniquely integrated paid and earned media strategies, yielding enhanced
demographic & psychographic segmentation, more precisely targeted message differentiation and significantly
improved selection of media platforms and placements including broadcast, mobile, social media, other digital,
print, promotion, D.R. and others.
Exceptional track record as an influencer of public opinion, interest groups, journalists, investors & donors, activists
and segmented constituencies. Experienced leader of Crisis Management, Corporate Affairs and Government
Affairs initiatives on behalf of large and small organizations alike including businesses, causes, advocacy groups,
global and domestic policy initiatives, digital enterprises, non-profit organizations, trade associations and others.
Frequently sought as an independent advisor on competitive strategy, marketing and media for a diverse range of
businesses, brands, public figures, non-profits and others, including:
THE WORLD BANK VOGUE / CONDE’ NAST WARREN BUFFETT FAMILY FOUNDATION
CNBC SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT THE U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR MALARIA
TIVO HUMANA BANK OF NEW YORK, MELLON
PEDIATRIC AIDS FOUNDATION AMERICA’S MOST WANTED/20TH
TV NORMAN LEAR / DOI PROJECT
PHOENIX TECHNOLOGIES U.S. DIPLOMATIC SECURITY SERVICE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ALLIANCE
THE GRAMMY AWARDS SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION THE NEW YORK YANKEES ORGANIZATION
THE BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB MTV THE NEW JERSEY NETS
GOLDIE HAWN JIM CARREY BROADCAST JOURNALIST LARRY KING
JENNIFER MACDONALD FRAN DRESCHER AUTHOR AND ADVISOR DEEPAK CHOPRA
REPRESENTATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Chief Marketing Strategist for Grandparents.com, an unknown digital start-up that (with zero marketing
expense and in under 7 months) created “the most effective Social Media campaign of 2012” and was
ranked “One of the Ten Most Popular Brands on Facebook.” (Ranking & quotes: Insider Business
Magazine, Dec. 2013).
• Created the “new” Betty Crocker brand, moving America’s 44th
most trusted grocery brand to # 1.
• Helped launch William Shatner’s “singing” career for Priceline.com, and oversaw marketing strategies for
all Priceline-affiliated businesses -- including the fastest-growing company in Internet history.
• Launched Cheerios’ “heart-healthy” campaign, increasing the brand’s share using non-commercial media,
credibly & cost-effectively repositioning it as America’s first heart-healthy children’s and adult’s cereal.

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JO SEPH R U T LED G E
• At the request of former Secretary of State Colin Powell, helped plan and served as co-director of news and
communications for The Presidents’ Summit on America’s Future, a 3-day Presidential Summit convened
by President Bill Clinton involving all living ex-Presidents, 400+ U.S. CEOs, Secretary Powell, senior
members of Congress and delegates from all 50 states.
• Conceived and co-founded the Rewards for Justice Fund, raising millions of dollars for counter-terrorism
efforts abroad by securing multi-state enactment of legislation authorizing the sale of new, premium-priced
“United We Stand” license plates. Recognized by the U.S. Department of State as “2008 Citizen Patriot.”
• Improved federal nutrition standards and double-digit growth in General Mills’ whole grain cereal volume
without marketing expense, by creating a coalition of 1,000+ dentists to call for fewer sugared cereals in
federal feeding programs.
• Helped introduce the Designated Driver concept in the U.S., which has established an entirely new social
and behavioral norm, yielding substantial long-term declines in teenage drunk driving injuries & fatalities.
• Board member (ex-officio) and advisor, ELAW – the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide
• Harvard Negotiation Project participant (twice)
• Recognized by Advertising Age magazine as “One of the 100 Best Marketers in America”
• Creator & Co-Exec. Producer, “Pictures from the Gulf” (NBC); Executive Advisor, “Chat the Planet”
(National Geographic Channel); Co-Exec. Producer, “Keeping America’s Promise” (20th
Century Television
/ Fox Broadcasting); Creator & Exec. Producer, multiple short-format nationally syndicated radio shows;
Contributor, “Between the Lions” (PBS); Contributor, d-Life (CNBC)
• Guest Lecturer, the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business
• Member, Business Advisory Board, and adjunct professor, Advanced Innovation, Woxsen School of
Business, Hyderabad, India
• Frequent speaker for business associations, training seminars, media organizations, etc.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
E d u c a t i o n
M.P.A. Harvard University • JFK School of Government • Cambridge, Massachusetts
• Recognized as Lucius N. Littauer Fellow for Leadership and Academic Achievement
B.A. Hampshire College • Political Science • Amherst, Massachusetts
• Awarded President’s Fund Grant for Academic Initiative
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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JO SEPH R U T LED G E
P R O F E S S I O N A L E X P E R I E N C E
Grandparents.com • New York, NY
Chief Marketing Strategist
January, 2012 – Present
Responsibilities: One of four Executive Management team members who collaboratively oversee all business,
product, partner and investor recruitment strategies. Responsible for assuring that digital & non-digital consumer
marketing, P.R., social media, mobile messaging, direct marketing and other media generate cost-efficient growth
in site traffic, visitor-to-member conversions, transactions, third-party media and co-marketing. Lead or advise on:
• Product Development • Site & App Content • Multi-platform Messaging • Marketing Staffing
• Consumer Targeting • User Experience • Blog and 3rd
Party Blog Uses • Marketing Budgets
• Partner Targeting • Direct Response • Broadcast & Digital Advertising • Budget Tracking /Analysis
• Offers & Promotions • CSR Strategy • Event-driven Media • Contracted Services
Results: Created new analytic protocols that yielded far more accurate performance metrics, resulting in the
transformation of almost all revenue-driving consumer-facing aspects of the business. Reduced per-member
acquisition costs at or below target ... Secured marketing commitments from Fortune 50 insurance, publishing and
healthcare organizations ... Social Media strategy that moved the brand from unknown to one of “2012’s Top Ten
Brands on Facebook” in 8 months without marketing expense ... Acquired 50 celebrity endorsers, signed &
videotaped under no-fee contracts.
Blitzen Ventures, LLC • South Norwalk, Connecticut •
January, 2003 – March, 2007 + October, 2008 – December, 2011
Partner and Senior Marketing Strategist
Responsibilities: Senior partner in small consulting firm specializing in non-traditional revenue, customer
acquisition, media and public policy strategies. Primarily served organizations facing competitive challenges
requiring unconventional external marketing initiatives, and more innovative internal operations, accountabilities
and organizational structures. Known for atypical but highly insightful risk & opportunity analysis, and for creating
new multi-target/multi-message media strategies, more extensive audience perception and behavior analysis and
more acutely detailed audience & ratings analysis, thereby yielding sustained improvement in overall and per-
target / per-segment CPMs. Further enhanced media cost-efficiency by enlisting 3rd
party media providers and by
negotiating enhanced media prices, placements and overall performance (broadcast, cable and digital; national as
well as per-DMA).
Results: Consistently achieved client goals, often via marketing initiatives that generated revenues rather than
incurring expense. Examples: partner-funded advertising & promotion • brand-centric entertainment content (TV,
Radio & Digital) • syndicated media content • branded non-commercial events • user-generated social media •
member recruitment via social media • growth generated by re-purposing existing products
Created sustained competitive advantages for clients via first-in-category adoption of new technologies including:
location-based mobile messaging • purchase-mapping apps • branded P-to-P content • holistic SEO
Increased client revenues & membership by de-emphasizing commercial messaging, attracting previously resistant
consumers • re-acquiring defectors • enhancing message credibility • increasing press coverage of commercial
storylines • attracting non-profit, educational & other partners and distribution channels

4. JO SEPH R U T LED G E
GCI Communications / Cohn & Wolfe • New York, NY •
May, 2008 – August, 2008
President, Global Corporate Practice
Responsibilities: Recruited by America’s 4th
largest public relations practice as President of its Global Corporate
Practice (corporate, brand, product & policy services). Five months later GCI was unexpectedly acquired by WPP,
which assigned its executives to GCI’s most senior positions, including mine, limiting my tenure to four months.
Results: Developed and planned transformation of “stand-alone” digital services into more profitable multi-benefit
recurring revenue platforms ... Designed plan for enhanced Boardroom, Crisis, Internal & Public Policy services ...
Advised C-suite executives on more effective communication with political leaders and broadcast news journalists.
Walker Digital (Priceline.com parent company) • Stamford, Connecticut
January 1999 – December 2002
Chief Marketing Officer and EVP, Marketing, Planning & Communications
Responsibilities: Partnered with Founder, CEO and others in developing all Priceline.com affiliate business &
revenue models. Chief creative strategist; oversaw execution of $50+MM in annual marketing activity for all
Priceline-affiliated businesses, including TV and radio advertising, P.R., direct response, online advertising &
promotion, CEO news-making and other brand and product visibility initiatives. Consistently improved media
efficiency and CPMs. Scripted and exec-produced TV and radio advertising. Responsible for assuring strategic
alignment between all aspects of User Experience and brand and product promises, advertising, promotional
content, direct mail offers, P.R. and all other influencers of brand and product profiles.
Results: Online transactions grew from zero to almost 5% of all U.S. Internet purchasing within 15 months. Created
the fastest-growing business in Internet history (1+ million credit card customers in 6 months). Deployed one of the
Internet’s most extensive consumer targeting and DBM platforms, achieving then-unsurpassed conversion rates.
Reduced overall media and customer acquisition costs while simultaneously increasing revenue and use retention.
General Mills, Inc • Minneapolis, Minnesota
1995–1999
Vice-President, Marketing Communications
Responsibilities: Served as one of 16 Corporate Officers (the first recruited from outside GMI in 21 years), with
responsibility for creating and leading its first fully integrated marketing, promotions and public relations
organization. Responsible for increasing consumer awareness & preference for each of the company’s largest
brands including Betty Crocker, Cheerios, Yoplait, Trix, Bisquick, Gold Medal and others.
Results: Improved media efficiency and reduced average CPMs by creating & distributing new, short-format daily
& weekly syndicated radio features airing on 1,200+ stations nationwide as branded program content, not paid
advertising. Examples include “Calling Betty Crocker,” “The Wheaties Sports Update” and the “Cheerios Nutrition
News.” Established new corporate and CEO reputation management programs. Created “Ask Betty Crocker,” a
weekly advice column answering reader questions about cooking, entertaining, nutrition and family life published -
-- at no cost -- by 1,400+ weekly newspapers within 12 months of launch. Launched Cheerios’ “heart-shaped
bowl” campaign, increasing the brand’s share via earned rather than paid media, and cost-effectively establishing
its credibility as America’s first heart-healthy children’s and adult’s cereal. Converted the company’s conventional,
high-cost Customer Service organization into a revenue-generating enterprise by re-purposing consumer inquiries
from problem resolution calls to direct selling opportunities.
Cost-effectively increased Wheaties’ consumer base by making it the most heavily-covered cereal in television
news history, using previously neglected sports, teams and athletes on-box: female athletes, women’s teams,
minority athletes, historic teams & others. Introduced and established the live unveiling of Wheaties boxes
featuring each year’s winning Super Bowl and World Series teams as a permanent global broadcast feature.

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JO SEPH R U T LED G E
NBC-TV • New York, New York
Vice-President, Cable and New Media • 1993-1995
Vice-President, Corporate Communications • 1988-1993
Director, Corporate Communications • 1987-1988
Responsibilities & Results: Designed and executed news and media relations strategies for all NBC corporate
initiatives, including high visibility talent and program controversies, news and elections coverage conflicts,
business acquisitions, public policy campaigns, cable strategy, technology advances, affiliate issues, overseas
distribution, executive appointments, crisis communications and other NBC business activities. Helped create
successful new media initiatives for CNBC, NBC Europe, NBC’s Asian and Latin American partnerships and others
while assigned to NBC’s Cable and New Media division.
Creator and executive producer of new program franchises including: NBC’s Olympics Triplecast “Hometown
Hero” syndicated radio and video features, and “Pictures From the Gulf,” a sponsor funded, one-of-a-kind, 24-hour
per day cable broadcast made available to 90+% of all U.S. cable operators during the first Persian Gulf War.
United States Congress • Office of U.S. Representative Jim Weaver
Chief of Staff •Washington, DC • 1977–1984
Responsibilities & Results: Responsible for all D.C. and district affairs and staff, including executive branch liaison,
legislative initiatives and political affairs. Designed and managed successful campaign, media, public policy and
interest group strategies. Created, shaped and helped pass extensive natural resource and energy conservation
legislation. Planned and oversaw execution of the only filibuster in U.S. House of Representatives history. Served
as Subcommittee Staff Director with responsibility for enhancing federal forest, water and energy policies. Results
included legislation establishing 13 new National Wilderness Areas, 21 new Wild and Scenic Rivers designations,
and passage of measures requiring logging companies, forest products companies and the U.S. Forest Service to
adopt a diverse array of far more economically & environmentally responsible policies and practices.
S K I L L S & F L U E N C I E S
DIGITAL MEDIA – Marketing strategy, content, ADVERTISING – Strategy, creative, production
consumer experience and analytics for: and CPM/performance & ratings analysis for:
• Commercial mobile messaging • Broadcast & Cable Television
• Website design, behavioral content & path optimization • Digital (multi-platform)
• App marketing & promotion • Print (including Direct Response)
• Social Media dialogue, tracking, analysis & conversion • Political Media (candidates and cause)
• P to P content, production & promotion • Branded Syndicated Content (TV, Newspaper
• SEO strategy, analysis and optimization & short-format Radio)
CONSUMER MARKETING –Digital & non-digital, PUBLIC RELATIONS, PUBLIC AFFAIRS and
branded & un-branded products & services including: CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS:
• Brand development, introduction, expansion & extension • Reputation management (CEO & corporate)
• Promotion (retail, live event and online) • Crisis management
• Affiliate and affinity marketing • Political, policy & issues advocacy
• Demographic & specialty marketing • Editorial strategy (national, local & trade)
• Sales support • Broadcast news (national, local & syndicated)
• Direct Response (TV, mail, online & home shopping) • Branded entertainment / infotainment
• CSR sales & marketing • Financial & business news (non-I.R.)