• by Wayne Friedman , July 21, 2012

RPA, the Santa Monica, Calif.-based advertising agency, has created a new senior media strategy position.

Jim Helberg has been hired as senior vice president of media strategy, integration and analytics. He is responsible for integrating traditional and interactive media plans with an emphasis on matching the emotional intent of each advertising campaign's creative strategy.

Helberg, who was an RPA executive back in the late 1980s working on the agency's key Honda Motor business, was most recently executive vice president of product marketing and analytics for Autobytel. 

Previously, he held senior media positions at FCB, Grey and Saatchi in Southern California. His experience includes overseeing all media activity at OMD and PHD on Nissan and then Chrysler, both in L.A. and Detroit.

Bill Hagelstein, president and chief executive officer at RPA, stated he was fortunate to work with Helberg again and continue "to augment our ability to offer a 360-degree fully integrated approach that creates interest, participation and conversation across all media channels and platforms."

Helberg has also done work for clients in the packaged goods, airlines, fast-food and financial services categories. In addition to his agency background, Helberg also was group vice president of corporate sales and marketing at Time Inc., working across all divisions of Time Warner.