When you can show a key position at Google on your resume and then make your way back home to your roots, that’s a win for everybody. Such is the case for the leadership team at JohnsonRauhoff — JR for short — where Justin Southern is a new Account Director for the St. Joseph-based strategic content agency.
Southern, who is originally from Michigan, started at JR last month after working in Chicago for several years, most recently at Google and previously at OMD, a subsidiary of Omnicom Group.
As part of his past agency experience, Southern has helped lead the media efforts across several well-known campaigns such as “Partners in Pethood” by PetSmart, “Get a Shot. Give a Shot.” by Walgreens, and guided the media strategy for online lottery sales in Illinois, which was the first state to allow consumers to purchase tickets over the Internet.
JR President Mike Huie says, “Justin brings a wealth of experience across consumer touch-points to ensure we provide the most modern capabilities at JR,” and adds, “In driving results for our clients, we have the inherent need to design highly sophisticated marketing strategies that are grounded in data and analytics.”
Southern, a Western Michigan University graduate, will lead the agency’s work with the Whirlpool account, including KitchenAid Brand, and head marketing efforts for the agency. Southern says the move back to Michigan was 15 years in the making.
Justin says, “Getting home to Michigan was always in the cards. My wife and I have two boys and are thrilled to be closer to family.” He notes, “To make the move a reality, the career path needed to be there as well. JR not only offers the ability to move to St. Joseph and be part of a great community, it also provides the opportunity to do truly innovative work with a roster of fantastic colleagues and clients.”
Jackie Huie is CEO at JR. She says, “With our goal to always recruit the highest level of talent, Justin is just one of the many JR staff who have made the move from other major cities and corporations,” and concludes, “The JR team’s amazing combined experience and diversity is one of the secrets to our success.”
Founded in 1969, JR is a strategic content agency that combines the strengths of a full-service agency with the added value and efficiency of an in-house studio. Strategic insights and innovative tech solutions fuel powerful creative work. You can learn more online at johnsonrauhoff.com.
