Bark Gets New CMO, Taps Michael Parness to Lead AI-Powered Marketing
Michael Parness has joined Bark, a global omnichannel dog brand with such products as BarkBox and Super Chewer, to lead marketing efforts, which have recently taken on a larger focus on AI.
The leadership move aligns with the company’s recent reorganization of its creative and marketing functions, announced during the company’s last earnings call. The restructure is intended to bring Bark’s creative talent closer to the consumer.
As part of this, Bark has been increasingly using AI within its marketing design processes, allowing designers to use a content blueprint along with AI tools to create thousands of iterations in minutes rather than relying on them to create individual pieces of content.
“This approach enables more robust testing of ads across various platforms, helping us identify the most impactful content in an efficient way,” said CEO Matt Meeker during the call.
Parness brings an extensive history of developing marketing and digital transformation strategies for companies like JustFoodForDogs and Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, an omnichannel wine portfolio of brands.
At dog food brand JustFoodForDogs, Parness led a team of 12 to drive full-stack digital marketing; strategic planning across e-commerce, omnichannel, and DTC; and content creation, advertising, and product development, per his LinkedIn.
Prior to that, he was the chief digital officer for the winery, responsible for leading the digital transformation and a cross-functional team of 52 members to lead operational excellence across digital, product, performance marketing, DTC, CRO, e-commerce, creative, and omnichannel.
“Michael… has consistently demonstrated his ability to drive brand building and business growth through creative storytelling and strong customer engagement,” said Meeker in a statement announcing the appointment. “He will oversee our growth in the play category and ensure our brand reaches as many dog households as possible. ”
