Buffalo Groupe Appoints Derek Koenig as Buffalo Agency’s First Chief Creative and Content Officer
Twenty-Five Year Marketing Industry Veteran Will Oversee Creation of Buffalo Studios
Buffalo Groupe, LLC and its Buffalo Agency – a fully integrated marketing firm representing golf, sport and lifestyle brands globally – has named Derek Koenig Chief Creative and Content Officer.
Koenig, a 25-year marketing industry veteran previously holding executive-level positions with Discovery, Vail Resorts, AOL, Sony and Discover Financial, will be tasked with building Buffalo Studios. This new agency initiative will offer an ideal blend of proven endemic expertise, talented creative experts and unrivalled nimbleness to create compelling branded content targeting influential audiences.
“Derek is the perfect person to lead our launch of Buffalo Studios,” says Buffalo Groupe CEO, Kyle Ragsdale. “His deep experience with brands known worldwide is combined with exceptional creativity, curiosity and outstanding leadership qualities. We’re very excited to add him to our talented, growing team.”
“Throughout my entire career, I’ve been fixated on creating and telling inspiring stories that drive business across all platforms – TV, digital, social, print and more,” says Koenig. “Buffalo Studios will allow us to super-serve our agency partners with breakthrough storytelling and activate luxury-lifestyle audiences like never before. I’m honored to join Buffalo Agency and can’t wait to build Buffalo Studios; this is where I belong.”
The hire is the latest in a series of significant moves by the new Buffalo, which include the appointment of John Watson as Executive Chairman, spin off from former parent company, Billy Casper Golf, and recapitalization supported by an initial round of outside investment.
Koenig joins Buffalo from Discovery, Inc. where he was SVP Creative for the company’s in-house agency, leading a team that supported Discovery’s U.S. and International businesses with marketing, promotion, short-form digital, VR and branded content campaigns.
Previously, he founded Two Step Consulting in Boulder, Colorado, where he worked with brands like Qwest, Sony, Nike and the Victors & Spoils creative crowd-sourcing agency. Prior to that, he served as CMO for Vail Resorts, overseeing all global marketing, research, sales, digital, sponsorships and event marketing. His tenure included launching the EPIC Pass digital platform and signing Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn as spokesperson.
Koenig’s held other roles like SVP, Marketing at Discovery Communications – where he led rebrands for TLC, ID, HD Theater and Discovery Home and worked on its pro cycling partnership team – marketing leadership positions with AOL, Sony and Discover Financial, and time with Leo Burnett managing its McDonald’s, Pillsbury and P&G accounts. He has been recognized with an IHAF Agency of the Year award, 2 Emmys, 3 Effies, 3 Webbys, 3 Adweek campaigns of the year and the AAAA Gold for Strategy.
About Buffalo Agency
Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., Buffalo was established in 2001 as a division of Billy Casper Golf, one of America’s largest golf course owner-operators. The 55-person, fully-integrated marketing firm serves companies and organizations connected to the golf, sport and lifestyle markets globally. Buffalo’s data-driven approach helps its 60-plus clients grow brand equity and revenue. It is led by award-winning talent in the areas of marketing strategy, public relations, content development, social media, media buying, creative, data analytics, and digital and search-engine marketing.
Clients include ANNIKA, Casa de Campo Resort & Villas, Colorado Golf Association, Crown & Caliber, Destination Kohler (Whistling Straits), ECCO, Eyeking (Under Armour Eyewear), GOLFTEC, Massachusetts Golf Association, PGA National Resort & Spa, Pinehurst Resort and Country Club, Thor Guard, Topgolf / Toptracer, United States Golf Association, US Club Soccer and World Golf Foundation.
More information: Buffalo.Agency, 703.761.1444
MEDIA CONTACT:
Stephen Reynolds
Buffalo.Agency
703.344.6031
sreynolds@buffalo.agency
