Ten Things You Should Know About Sergio Zyman
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Sergio Zyman, the polarizing former Coca-Cola marketer, is steering marketing at JC Penney in the wake of CEO Ron Johnson’s departure. Best-known for the role he played in the marketing disaster that was New Coke, Mr. Zyman served two stints at Coca-Cola, from 1979 to 1986 and from 1993 to 1998. But that short-lived experiment overshadows some big successes, such as popular ad campaigns “Coke Is It!” and “Always Coca-Cola.” He also helped grow brands that have worked for the beverage diet, such as Diet Coke and Cherry Coke.
While Mr. Zyman has been a prominent player in marketing circles for nearly 35 years, he’s laid low recently, concentrating on speaking engagements and consulting. So we compiled this list to offer some clues into his business style — and where JC Penney’s marketing might be going. If history is to be repeated, we can expect lots of intense meetings, a plethora of agencies and a ton of potential for big successes and, possibly, big flops. And maybe Julie Roehm?
1. He’s got a fiery personality. At one time he was called the “enfant terrible of marketing” and dubbed the “Aya-Cola” because of his intense management style and fierce temper.
