Auburn took another step toward improving its brand as a national program after Jay Jacobs announced several initiatives designed to improve communication and interaction with tiger fans and strengthen internal operations for the athletics department.
Two of the new changes will be the addition of a chief operating officer (COO) and chief marketing officer (CMO) for the athletics department.
The CMO will develop a business plan for the department that defines the brand's position, and manages and executes marketing strategies and tactical plans to achieve the department's goals and objectives.
The COO will serve as a senior advisor to Jacobs and will act as the top official in the department under Jacobs.
"Our operating budget has grown from $47 million to $102 million annually during my time as athletics director, and we have to ensure we have the infrastructure in place to support that growth and operate efficiently and effectively in the future," Jacobs said in a press release Wednesday, July 24. "In this day and age, a good COO is a smart hire to make."
Auburn also has a redesigned website and two beat writers to cover Auburn sports. The two beat writers, Charles Goldberg and Phillip Marshal, have already been hired and the search for the COO and CMO is now in progress.
"Our goal is to get better at telling our story, promoting our sports and developing the Auburn brand," Jacobs said. "In the rapidly changing landscape of major college athletics, we have to be cutting edge in the area of marketing and communications, while also taking steps to support the tremendous growth we have experienced and will continue to see in the coming years."
Jacobs also promoted Jack Smith to senior associate athletics director for communications for the athletics department, which oversees the department's media relations, public relations and digital media efforts.
Kirk Sampson will continue in his role directing Auburn football communications.
Auburn will also launch a new digital magazine, Tiger Roar, which is set to launch in August.
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