Rocket Companies, the Detroit-based fintech platform encompassing mortgage, real estate, and various financial services businesses, has made a significant stride by appointing Jonathan Mildenhall as its first-ever Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Effective January 8, 2024, Mildenhall is set to bring his decades of marketing expertise to spearhead a unified and compelling voice for all entities under the Rocket Companies umbrella.
With an impressive international track record, Mildenhall is renowned for his role in growing brands for public companies such as Coca Cola and Airbnb. His most recent venture, TwentyFirstCenturyBrand, co-founded in 2018, has become a leading branding and marketing consultancy, leaving an indelible mark on influential companies like Pinterest, LinkedIn, Zalando, PepsiCo, NextDoor, and Walmart.
Varun Krishna, Chief Executive Officer for Rocket Companies, expressed his excitement about Mildenhall’s appointment, highlighting his reputation as one of the top marketing minds globally. “Jonathan is one of the top marketing minds in the world, with a strong reputation for consistently delivering compelling campaigns that break through the clutter and become socially relevant,” said Krishna. He emphasized the wealth of incredible stories within Rocket Companies, eager for Mildenhall to lead the team in creating innovative ways to share these inspiring narratives with the world.
Mildenhall’s mission is to consolidate the marketing and communications teams for all Rocket Companies brands under a unified strategy. His wealth of experience, spanning over 30 years, includes transformative roles such as the first CMO of Airbnb, where he played a pivotal role in the company’s unprecedented growth from 400,000 homes on the platform to over 4.5 million residences in 191 countries within just three and a half years. Airbnb’s first Super Bowl commercial and strategic co-marketing partnerships with culturally relevant brands marked milestones during Mildenhall’s tenure.
Before Airbnb, Mildenhall served as Vice President of Global Advertising Strategy and Content Excellence at Coca-Cola, leading the company’s marketing efforts during a period of significant creative innovation. His team crafted the global marketing campaign “Open Happiness,” contributing to Coke’s most profitable growth period in two decades. This success led to Coca-Cola being named the Creative Marketer of the Year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Jonathan Mildenhall, a British-American, is also a board member of GoFundMe and Fanatics. His accolades include being featured on Forbes’ list of the World’s Most Influential CMOs, Business Insider’s list of the Most Innovative CMOs, and receiving Adweek’s Brand Genius award.
Expressing his gratitude for the opportunity, Mildenhall stated, “The role Rocket plays in helping people achieve the American Dream through home ownership and financial freedom is massive and cannot be overstated. I am honored to be given the opportunity to work with this talented team, led by Varun, to tell stories that will inspire and motivate.”
Jonathan Mildenhall’s appointment as Rocket Companies’ CMO signals a strategic move to leverage his extensive experience in fostering brand growth, innovation, and social impact. As he takes on this pivotal role, the industry watches with anticipation for the exciting developments that will undoubtedly follow under his leadership.
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