Paul Holmes 04 Apr 2011 // 11:00PM GMT
The convergence of marketing and corporate communications is proceeding at such a pace that it is no longer unusual to see the two once-separate roles combined under a single individual. But it is still relatively uncommon for that individual to come out of a corporate communications background, as Christa Carone did before being named chief marketing officer at Xerox.
Carone was elevated to her current position in 2008, but before that had spent more than a decade in various media relations, public relations and corporate communications roles at the business process and document management company, earning a reputation as one of the most dynamic and innovate communicators in the country—a reputation that led to her selection as one of our Outstanding Individual Achievement SABRE winners for 2011.
Carone joined Xerox in 1996 as communications manager for the company's manufacturing and supply chain division, and was named corporate media relations manager in 1998 and head of corporate public relations in 2001. In July 2007, she broadened her role to include all worldwide public relations activities and was named to head up Xerox's newly created global communications organization, responsible for all public relations, internal and corporate communications, and community relations initiatives.
It was during that period that the company began to regain its position as one of America’s Most Admired Companies.
Carone was named chief marketing officer in September 2008, and was appointed a vice president of the corporation in May 2010. In this role, she is responsible for global marketing strategy and initiatives that include advertising, experiential marketing, public relations, internal communications, integrated campaigns, interactive and social marketing, and the Xerox Foundation. She is also the steward of the company's brand, leading global brand management, product nomenclature, and other related activities that serve to protect the value of the Xerox name and multi-billion dollar brand.
She has led the launch of an integrated social media team at Xerox, pioneering and adopting many best practices—listening to and engaging with customers—and has sought to empower employees to become social media ambassadors for the company.
Most recently, she has led the launch of the new “Ready for Real Business” global advertising campaign—the most ambitious and globally integrated in company history—that works to reposition Xerox as a global leader in document management and business process services, partnering with some of the company’s largest customers (from Procter & Gamble to the New York Mets) and their widely recognized brand icons.
Reviews have been positive and early research indicates that the campaign is successfully changing the perception of Xerox and that key brand attributes are getting a positive lift.
Prior to joining Xerox, Carone managed communications and public affairs for health care companies in Rochester, NY, and Baltimore. She is a member of the Arthur Page Society and an advisory board member for the Center for Reputation Management at Drexel University.