Murray To Launch Greylock Entertainment

December 06, 2007 (PRLEAP.COM) Entertainment News
(Nashville, TN) Rick Murray, former CMA Vice President of Strategic Marketing is launching Greylock Entertainment, a full service integrated entertainment marketing and promotional company dedicated to the expansion of brand equity.

"After several months of research, it is clearer to me than ever before that integrated marketing opportunities are being underutilized by entertainment brands," said Murray who will serve as CEO of the new company. "In the rapidly changing world of entertainment, including the pressure from stockholders of publicly traded entertainment companies to increase profits, it is essential that artists, record labels, television properties, magazines, radio and other entertainment properties seek out new, alternative marketing channels to reach new consumers and further activate existing fans. Using both traditional and non-traditional marketing channels, Greylock Entertainment will help entertainment and consumer brands develop "out of the box" strategic marketing plans and then implement those plans resulting in increased revenue."

Greylock Entertainment will provide strategic marketing services, sponsorship/partnership program services, marketing program event production and develop entertainment properties and promotions including tours, special events and television properties.

Murray brings more than twenty-five years of entertainment marketing and event production experience to the new venture. Most recently, he was Vice President of Strategic Marketing for the Country Music Association where he was responsible for brand development, market research, corporate marketing initiatives, marketing communications, member marketing services, CMA Awards and CMA Music Festival viewer promotions/advertising, the creation of the first country music themed free standing insert, sponsorship/marketing of the CMA Music Festival/Fan Fair, the development/implementation of the first ever Marketing With Country Music conference co-sponsored by Advertising Age and the America's Sold On Country Tour reaching marketers in conjunction with Brand Week. He launched the CMA Sponsorship Program and created a comprehensive corporate marketing strategy for CMA resulting in partnerships with more than 100 brands; working with the City of New York, created the "Country Takes New York City" national event marketing platform surrounding the CMA Awards in New York City (2005). "Country Takes New York" included partnerships with sports (NFL), Broadway (Broadway Meets Country), fashion, financial, media and entertainment sectors. He also developed a successful marketing strategy with "Hollywood" raising awareness for country music among studio, network and cable marketing executives as well as key production personnel and music supervisors; was instrumental in WHEEL OF FORTUNE's "Country Stars Weeks" and created and produced New From Nashville (NUNV), an annual European promotional tour showcasing country artists in Dublin, Glasgow and London. Prior to CMA, Murray developed marketing and sponsorship programs for the National Association for Campus Activities and was an executive in one of the first satellite delivered college special event networks that provided educational and entertainment programming. His resume also includes television production, White House Advance and Chairman of the Promotion Marketing Association.

Greylock Entertainment will be based in Nashville. Correspondence can be directed to P.O. Box 1986 Brentwood, TN 37024.