Hugh Scallon
Hugh Scallon joined VaynerMedia in early 2022 to lead a new global video activation desk. This followed a nearly year-long advisory role in the same capacity from his media consultancy.
He guides, trains and counsel’s internal teams and client leaders on modern video for modern living rooms. Hugh also is market-facing, working with linear & non-linear TV partners on ways to activate for brands. The agency focus is on building out its ‘TV 3.0’ product for clients. It looks at convergence of TV, streaming & social video. But with a unique view towards bridging social video IP bottoms up from culture into CTV and linear instead of just looking at reach extension.
VaynerMedia is player in all of linear, non-linear, local, national, programmatic and direct publisher deals for the Upfront, Scatter, DRTV, Addressable, Guerilla & Cross Screen Measurement spaces.
Hugh is also the founder of 5-Star Marketing Advisors LLC, a boutique media consultancy created in 2019. The advisory practice served DTC brands, digital agencies, publishers, and their ad tech/data platform partners. The practice sought growth unlocks by bridging ‘know-how’ gaps in strategy, go-to-market operations, team design, ideation, insights, and industry relationships.
Hugh has over 25-years of experience in media & marketing in both client-side and agency roles. Prior to launching the consultancy, he spent 2010-2019 in executive leadership at Omnicom Media Group (OMG) in NYC. There he launched PHD Health (2010), winning and running both the GSK and Humana businesses. Later, he started the 1st healthcare data practice at OMG’s Annalect unit, working with clients across all Omnicom agencies. In 2016/17 he was a founding executive at OMG’s Hearts & Science agency where he ran Amgen as well as the OTC brand portfolio for P&G.
Earlier, Hugh served from 2003-2010 at health insurer Aetna. He first ran corporate advertising and media for both B2B and B2C. Later, he moved into individual product marketing leadership, overseeing performance marketing for the non-Medicare portfolio, including AARP affinity product lines. Hugh also led Aetna’s urban health literacy DEI initiatives in partnership with Magic Johnson Enterprises for several years across all business units.
Hugh began his career in marketing at Leo Burnett in Chicago, holding positions in both client service and media on clients like GM and Heinz. Hugh earned a BA-Journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin and later received his MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. He resides in Fairfield County, CT outside New York.