Theatre Journalist Mark Blankenship Joins AKA NYC’s Digital Content Team

NEW YORK CITY— Entertainment marketing agency AKA NYC has appointed Mark Blankenship to the newly-created post of Integrated Content and Community Director. Blankenship joins the agency’s team of digital experts and will utilize his unique skills and experience to foster high-level ideation and the delivery of innovative, integrated campaigns for theatrical clients in the digital and social space, and beyond. “I get up in the morning to tell stories about the theatre,” said Blankenship. “My hunger to contextualize, illuminate, and celebrate this artform has driven my entire career. So, you can imagine my delight when I learned that everyone at AKA feels the same way. I've never met so many exceptional storytellers, let alone so many who tell stories in new ways. I'm ecstatic to join this team. I feel as though I've spent my entire career preparing for my new role.” “Mark has a passion for theatre and a proven ability to articulate its stories in engaging and creative ways,” said AKA Managing Partner Elizabeth Furze. “His diverse experience and enthusiasm make him a great addition to our team and its mission to create impactful and effective campaigns for our clients. We are delighted to welcome Mark to AKA.” “We’re very excited about the work our team is doing to enhance the consumer experience across platforms,” said Managing Partner Scott Moore. “Our focus has always been about creating consumer-centric campaigns with content that consumers want to engage with and proactively share. Bringing Mark into the fold further strengthens this offering.” Blankenship is a theatre critic, reporter, editor and filmmaker who has reviewed hundreds of plays and musicals for Variety, and written for The New York Times, NPR and Playbill. He served as Editor of Creative Content at Theatre Development Fund for eight years where he edited TDF Stages and was producer/director/writer of Meet the Theatre, a documentary film series focusing on off-Broadway theatre companies. Most recently, Blankenship served as Director of Community and Content at Show-Score where he oversaw Show-Score Studio, a video network of curated and original content, and To See or Not To See, a discussion forum. He is a frequent lecturer, moderator and panelist in the theatre community, having recently facilitated events for the Commercial Theatre Institute, Samuel French, the Thornton Wilder Family and the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama. About AKA AKA is the only global, fully integrated advertising agency servicing the arts and entertainment industry. With offices in the US, UK and Australia, the AKA Group, including Digital Media Services and the film advertising agency The Creative Partnership, delivers creative, strategic and insightful campaigns to the entertainment and culture industries worldwide. The New York office, led by Elizabeth Furze & Scott Moore has a proven record for producing sales-driven campaigns that engage potential audiences from first contact to final sale. Current and recent NYC clients include: Entertainment: Anastasia, The Band’s Visit, Big Apple Circus, A Bronx Tale, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Come from Away, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, John Leguizamo’s Latin History for Morons, M. Butterfly, Miss Saigon, Once on this Island, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, The Secret Garden, Manhattan Theatre Club. Destinations: Empire Outlets, New York Botanical Gardens and New York Wheel. For more information, visit aka.nyc.