LAURA MASSE

Executive Vice President, Marketing
Crown Media Holdings, Inc.
Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel

Biography

    Laura Masse is Executive Vice President, Marketing for Crown Media Holdings, Inc., owner and operator of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel.  Based in New York and Los Angeles, she oversees all facets of brand-building and marketing for the channels. Masse reports to Henry Schleiff, President and Chief Executive Officer, Crown Media.

    Laura directs strategic and creative teams responsible for developing the networks’ consumer, affiliate and ad sales marketing efforts.  In addition, Masse is the key liaison with Hallmark Cards in developing synergistic opportunities with its other brand extensions, including Hallmark Magazine, Hallmark Flowers and the nearly 4,000 Hallmark Gold Crown® stores.

   Previously, Masse served as the Senior Vice President, Marketing and, with her team, provided strategic development, creative direction and implementation on all marketing activities for the networks.

    Before joining Hallmark Channel, Masse was Vice President of Marketing for American Movie Classics (AMC) from 1998-2001.  Her responsibilities included oversight of the network’s integrated consumer, ad sales and affiliate marketing, as well as the network’s website, magazine and broadband offerings.

    From 1995-1998, Masse drove distribution and online marketing initiatives for Discovery Communications, Inc.  As Division Director of Marketing for Discovery Channel Online, she supervised the site's consumer positioning and advertising.  As the Division Director of Affiliate Marketing, Masse crafted strategies with Discovery's MSO partners and forged key relationships with national non-profit organizations including the PTA, AARP, and the national Headstart Association.

    Masse also held Account Management positions at Earle Palmer Brown and Muller Jordan Weiss advertising agencies in New York City, where her clients included The Learning Channel (TLC), The Walt Disney Company, Chase Manhattan Bank and Conrad International Hotels.

   Masse’s team has won numerous awards for their work, including a 2007 Promax & BDA award in the campaign of distinction category for its marketing campaign surrounding the network’s world premiere of the Academy Award®-winning film, “March of the Penguins.”  The team also won a 2006 CTAM Silver Mark Award and a 2004 Brand Builder Award from Promax & BDA, which recognizes innovative marketing and promotion executives responsible for leading today’s premier broadcast and cable companies.  She also led the network to win a CTAM Southern California Golden Palm Award for its 2005 “Hollywood Holiday Sweepstakes” and a CTAM Retail Case Study Competition recognizing the channel’s 2003 holiday promotion.

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