The Hip Hop Cosign Spotlight: Jameel Spencer
Posted by bigced on May 28, 2008
May 2008
Jameel Spencer
Chief Marketing Officer
Iconix Brand Group/Rocawear
Edgewater, NJ
Jameel Spencer is currently Chief Marketing Officer of Iconix Brand Group and lifestyle apparel brand Rocawear. As CMO, he is directly responsible for all marketing and promotional efforts across the brand and its multiple licensees. Realizing the brand’s success depends largely on its attachment to its celebrity co-owner, he is accredited for the recently increased involvement of co-owner Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. Spencer also serves as the point person for all new business development with the apparel giant including newly acquired Artful Dodger.
Before joining Rocawear, he served as President of Blue Flame Marketing + Advertising. As president of Blue Flame, Spencer was directly responsible for the executive functions of the boutique marketing firm that represents Sean Jean Clothing, Justin’s Restaurant (New York and Atlanta), and Daddy’s House Social Programs. He was also in charge of creating synergy across all the brands housed under the Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group umbrella. In addition to Bad Boy properties, Spencer also positioned Blue Flame to provide marketing, advertising services, promotion and brand consultation to corporate clients.
According to Spencer, the most effective marketing campaign speaks to the consumer empathetically: “The most compelling campaign you can remember is one that spoke to you in a way that made you want to be a part of it, as if it were speaking to you directly”.
Spencer identifies marketing as the lifeline to all consumers and brings “executable creativity” to every brand with which he is involved. Spencer is in a unique position because he not only understands how to market to the urban space, where many pop culture trends originate, but as a key member of the Rocawear executive cadre, Spencer has access to and influence over the individuals who are responsible for creating these trends.
For fifteen years, Spencer has been a proven marketer for a variety of industries. Before joining Rocawear, Spencer served as President of Blue Flame Marketing + Advertising. Spencer previously was the National Music and Entertainment Director for Vanguarde Media, where he also served as executive director Impact Super Summit XIV. Prior to joining Vanguarde, Spencer held the position of National Sales Director for Vibe and Blaze magazines. While at Shaquille O’Neal’s TWISM clothing label, Spencer executed endorsement deals with Reebok, Pepsi and Taco Bell. The list of companies for which Spencer has provided marketing strategies, promotions or brand consultation includes Nike, Bentley, RJ Reynolds, Piaget and Versace. He graduated from Rutgers University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in political science & Marketing.
Spencer resides with wife Chandra in Edgewater, New Jersey and has four children, Jamani, Nia, Shawn and Austin.
