MarketInk: Carrie Jones named first CEO of Mari + Gold

Carrie Jones, co-founder of Mari + Gold, is now the first CEO of the agency. She will lead the team alongside its president, Nicole Bushnell.

Founded in 2022, Mari + Gold is a full-service creative marketing agency that specializes in hospitality, tourism and lifestyle clients. Their team consists of former Raindrop Agency employees with specialist expertise in these industries.

About Mari + Gold

Carrie Jones, with more than 20 years of experience in advertising and public relations, has been named the first CEO of Mari + Gold. The agency, which launched early last year, is a sister agency to Raindrop, a local creative marketing agency.

In his new role, Jones will be responsible for driving the overall vision and business strategy, a statement said. She will also work alongside Mari + Gold President Nicole Bushnell to provide operational and customer leadership across various service lines.

The agency specializes in hospitality, tourism and lifestyle clients. Their team of 20 is comprised of many who have specialized experience in these industries, including clients such as Jazzercise, Inc., Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, TS Restaurants and Crack’d Kitchen & Coffee, among others.

services

SAN DIEGO, March 1, 2023 – Hospitality, tourism and lifestyle agency Mari + Gold today announced that Carrie Jones has been named its first CEO. Previously serving in an advisory capacity at the agency alongside its founder and president Nicole Bushnell, Jones has officially joined the company in a full-time position to lead the agency with his experience and expertise in marketing of hospitality.

In addition to its own services, Mari + Gold also works with a network of specialists in digital strategy and technology, influencer and social media marketing, design and creative content creation. The company’s team of experts is trusted by the industry’s leading brands to drive market innovation and deliver results.

Customers

As the first CEO of Mari + Gold, Jones has a long career in advertising and public relations. He previously served as Chief Communications Officer of sister agency Raindrop, where he helped grow the company’s footprint in a variety of local and regional markets.

An experienced PR and marketing strategist, Jones has managed brand strategy for multiple clients across multiple industries, including CPG, healthcare, real estate and hospitality. He also has experience with digital and direct-to-consumer marketing campaigns.

In his new role, Jones will lead the overall vision and business strategy of Mari + Gold. He will also work alongside President Nicole Bushnell to provide operational and customer leadership, supporting customer strategy across various service lines. He is responsible for a number of other things, too, such as leading a successful partner program that is unified under the Mari + Gold brand. This is all part of a growing industry in which technology and expertise are increasingly required to navigate the complex business landscape.

About Rick Griffin

Often called the “Duke” of surfing art, Rick Griffin (1944-1991) rose to fame through his iconic posters and comic strip, Murphy. He is widely regarded as one of the first “surf artists”, and his work continues to influence surfers around the world.

During the 1960s, Rick was known for his psychedelic poster designs, including some of the most famous posters and album covers by Jimi Hendrix and The Grateful Dead. His work also appeared regularly in the underground comix magazine Zap Comix, where his insightful social commentary and often biting satire made him one of the most influential cartoonists in the genre.

After graduating from Palos Verdes High in 1962, Rick devoted himself to surfing and drawing for Surfer magazine. John Severson, the editor of Surfer, liked Rick’s cartoon drawings and hired him to draw a comic strip.