Bully Pulpit Interactive Adds Robert Gibbs as Senior Counsel; Prepares Brands for an Ever-Changed Marketing World
Washington, D.C. (March 24, 2020) — Bully Pulpit Interactive (BPI) announced today that Robert Gibbs is joining the agency as Senior Counsel, based in BPI’s Chicago office. As the White House Press Secretary for President Obama during the financial crisis and then Global Chief Communications Officer for McDonald’s, Gibbs is uniquely positioned to lead brands, campaigns, and causes through times of immense change and strengthen reputations in a world which is constantly demanding more. At BPI, he will use his decades of communications experience to lead executive teams through the challenge of a crisis and help companies commit to and achieve social impact to build value with both stakeholders and shareholders.
“The role of brands in society is evolving daily. Now more than ever, organizations and leaders are being forced to redefine their relationship to consumers, government, society, and their own employees,” said BPI President Andrew Bleeker, “Few people have the leadership and communications experience Robert Gibbs has shown at the highest levels during moments of national crisis. We’re honored to have him join our team and help us prepare our clients for the new normal.”
“I’ve been a BPI client, I founded a strategic communications agency BPI bought in 2016 and I’ve worked alongside many of them on campaigns,” said Gibbs, “Seeing their incredible work and the measurable impact the team makes firsthand, made me want to be part of it myself. I’m excited to get started and grateful to join this team as we thoughtfully lead brands, non-profits, and campaigns into a vastly different world.“
BPI is preparing for an ever-changed marketing reality defined by a global pandemic and a historical presidential election. Media consumption behaviors are changing rapidly and how we communicate must change even faster. Brands, particularly direct to consumer, are going to have to fundamentally change their messaging to rebuild believers in their offering. Gibbs’ addition to our leadership team strengthens BPI’s ability to integrate digital advertising with strategic communications and solve the largest problems facing Fortune 100 companies and leaders across the country.
“Robert has few peers in his ability to help organizations navigate a crisis and strengthen their reputations. From his experience in public service and in the private sector, he understands that consumers expect companies to both create value with their shareholders, and to serve as good corporate citizens that support the communities around them,” said BPI Partner Ben LaBolt. Robert has helped to lead a transition in which the walls have come down between marketing and communications, and brands must focus on reaching and persuading consumers wherever they get their information.”
Gibbs spent four and a half years at McDonald’s as Executive Vice President and Global Chief Communications Officer, where he oversaw all corporate communications, public relations, internal and executive communications, global government relations and public affairs work Before joining McDonald’s, Gibbs was a top advisor to President Obama for nearly a decade. Starting as the Communications Director for then-Senator Obama, Gibbs served in the same role for the 2008 campaign, as the first White House Press Secretary for the Obama Administration and as a Senior Advisor on the 2012 re-election campaign. In 2013, he co-founded the Incite Agency, now a part of Bully Pulpit Interactive, before leaving in 2015 to join McDonald’s senior leadership team.
