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Exclusive: Former Mazda CMO Lands At Cleveland Browns

Dino Bernacchi, former CMO of Mazda North American Operations, has landed at the Cleveland Browns.

The longtime automotive executive is now the senior vice president of marketing and media at the NFL team. 

“I can finally tell my mom I was drafted by the NFL,” Bernacchi, 50, tells Marketing Daily

Bernacchi describes his approach as “always pushing for disruptive and innovative creative while driving the discipline of delivering the results  -- and enjoying the opportunity to mentor and develop future leaders and successors through it all.”

He has been working remotely for the team the last few weeks from his home in California. He and his family are moving to Cleveland this coming week.

Bernacchi has his work cut out for him. The Browns had a disappointing season last year after being hyped as one of the teams to watch due to several rising stars. They finished with a 6-10 record. It remains to be seen how COVID-19 will affect the NFL season this fall. 

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The Detroit native resigned effective March 20 after almost three years at Mazda. 

“During Dino’s tenure with MNAO, we saw consistent improvements in brand opinion following the successful launch of our ‘Feel Alive’ campaign,” according to the automaker. “This momentum continued with the launch of the CX-30.”

Prior to Mazda, Bernacchi spent almost eight years as Harley-Davidson's top marketer. Before that, he spent eight years at General Motors. His career has also included stints at Campbell-Ewald Advertising, Visteon and Ross Roy Communications Group. 

Brad Audet, the leader of Garage Team Mazda, is temporarily leading the marketing team while a search for a permanent candidate is conducted. Garage Team Mazda is Mazda’s bespoke agency.

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