Brownstein Kicks Off 2019 with New Talent as Agency Sets Sights on Year Ahead

Philadelphia, PA, January 24, 2019 – Brownstein Group (BG) is starting off the new year with a number of new faces around the office, as the agency positions itself for continued growth after being named ‘Small Agency of the Year’ by Ad Age in 2018.

The appointments – which span the agency’s Creative, Public Relations, Digital and Client Services departments – follow a wave of promotions that were announced in October of last year, including Gary Greenberg, Executive Creative Director, adding the role of Vice President to his title.

Brownstein Group has welcomed two new additions to its Creative team: Meredith Schwinder and Andrew Acconzo, who are serving as Creative Director and Senior Copywriter, respectively. Throughout her career, Schwinder has held creative positions at agencies including Connelly Partners and Terri & Sandy, working with brands ranging from Gerber to Peeps. Before joining Brownstein Group, she freelanced for agencies including McCann, Story Worldwide and Young & Rubicam. Schwinder is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where she majored in Advertising Design.

Acconzo previously served as a copywriter at shopper marketing agency Saatchi & Saatchi X, where he worked on brands within The Coca-Cola Company and P&G portfolios. Prior to his role at Saatchi & Saatchi X, he worked as a junior copywriter at Attention, a social media agency based in New York. Acconzo holds a BFA in Advertising from Savannah College of Art and Design.

In addition to its latest creative hires, Brownstein Group has named Minda Smiley to the role of Agency PR Manager. She comes to Brownstein Group from The Drum, where she covered the marketing and advertising industries as a senior reporter. Smiley, who holds an MA in Journalism from the City University of New York’s Graduate School of Journalism, has also written for Adweek and Ad Age.

“We continually strive to bring fresh perspectives and new ways of thinking into our work, and feel privileged to have these talented individuals as part of our agency,” said Erin Allsman, Brownstein Group’s Managing Director. “These hires support our strategic growth goals by further deepening our creative, client service, digital and PR benches and putting a renewed focus on the agency’s media relations efforts.”

Other recently hired team members include Kira Jones and Tom Cristino, who have both joined Brownstein Group’s Public Relations Department as Senior Account Executives. Jones joins from Buffalo.Agency, while Cristino spent the last six years at Tierney.

Jonathan Gomez, previously an analyst at alternative investment management firm Hamilton Lane, is the newest member of the agency’s Digital team. He’s taken on the role of Junior Front End Developer.

The Client Services team has been bolstered by three new Assistant Account Executives: Rutika Raikar, Kaitlyn Bader and Sarah Davies. Last but not least is Julie Tabak, who has joined Nucleus Digital – a digitally-focused specialty shop within the Brownstein family – as Account Supervisor.

About Brownstein Group 

Recognized by Ad Age as a ‘Small Agency of the Year’, Brownstein Group (BG) is the longest-running independent marketing communications agency in Philadelphia. Founded at the height of the Creative Revolution in 1964, BG is a full-service agency with expertise across all disciplines, including: brand strategy, advertising, public relations, social media, and digital services. BG specializes in crafting memorable campaigns that generate positive brand awareness, increased sales/leads and measurable impact for clients like IKEA, Comcast Xfinity, Wawa, GIANT Food Stores, Western Union, NJM Insurance, and DuPont™ Sorona®. Ranked as an O’Dwyer’s Top 100 National PR Agency and Fortune Magazine’s Top 100 Best Places to Work for Women, BG is relentless in the pursuit of breakthrough ideas, but dedicated to its clients and people. For additional information, visit www.brownsteingroup.com.