• by Tanya Gazdik , October 4, 2021

An automotive marketing veteran has been appointed as the first CMO of EchoPark Automotive, an independent used vehicle retailer. 

Dino Bernacchi most recently served as senior vice president of marketing at the Cleveland Browns. He landed the NFL position in May 2020 after leaving Mazda North American Operations in March 2020 after almost three years as CMO at the automaker. 

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. 

Bernacchi’s “vast expertise in brand development and marketing” will aid in the company’s goals of making EchoPark a “nationwide household name,” says David Smith, CEO of Sonic Automotive and EchoPark Automotive, a Fortune 500 company based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

He will be a great fit for the company’s culture, adds Jeff Dyke, president of Sonic Automotive and EchoPark Automotive.

The company continues to rapidly expand the EchoPark brand’s footprint and expects to reach approximately 25% of the U.S. population by the end of the year and 90% population coverage by 2025.

EchoPark’s mission is in its name, with Echo being an acronym for Every Car deserves a Happy Owner. 

Marketing campaigns that Bernacchi has been a part of have received two Cannes Gold Lion awards for creativity and global impact of a marketing campaign, three Gold Effie awards for product launches and media strategies, and an Emmy for a 2020 docuseries.