Trozzolo is doubling down on its expansion into the Milwaukee market with the hire of longtime advertising industry leader, Brad Hanna, as executive vice president/managing director of its growing Milwaukee office.
Hanna brings with him to Trozzolo more than 30 years of experience in leading business insights and strategy for some of America’s largest and most impactful brands, including Briggs & Stratton, Winnebago, Cargill, Dairy Farmers of America and Riceland Foods.
Most recently, Hanna led marketing and product strategy for Briggs & Stratton’s Power Division, based in Milwaukee. Prior to that, Hanna spent 25 years with Kansas City-based Barkley, serving as owner and EVP, Director of Business Strategy for the Ad Age A-List agency. Hanna cut his teeth in the industry at Bernstein-Rein, where one of his early hires was Angelo Trozzolo, president and CEO of Trozzolo.
“Brad Hanna is a thought leader in the true sense of the phrase. He is a force in our industry,” Trozzolo said. “His business insights and strategic focus have been a game-changer for his clients over the past 30 years. We’re eager to lean on him to guide our Milwaukee-area business forward. His addition to our team aligns perfectly with our growth plans in the Milwaukee market.”
Hanna will be developing marketing and communications growth within the Milwaukee to Appleton region, an area that is very familiar to him. In addition to his time with Briggs & Stratton, Hanna’s wife also hails from the Green Bay area.
“This is an exciting next step in my career,” Hanna said. “This part of the country is rich with companies that share our same values. I’m eager to leverage Trozzolo’s deep expertise in manufacturing, health care, legal, banking and financial services, CPG and food service. I’m enamored with our company’s broad range of industries. It allows for diverse thought and a fearless approach to growing our clients’ businesses.”
Trozzolo’s Milwaukee-area service offerings will mirror its Kansas City-based business model, with services including strategy, branding, design/collateral, social, digital/traditional media, local marketing/events, crises management and media training.
“Trozzolo’s formula for success in Kansas City, and across the U.S., is based on helping to shoulder the burden of business growth for its clients,” said Hanna. “We are going to adopt that same approach for our clients in Milwaukee and beyond. We have such a dynamic business community here, from giant everyday brands to family businesses on the verge of a new level of growth. We’re going to be fiercely loyal to our clients up here, and take them to new heights.”
Hanna’s experience as an industry leader is impressive. He co-created Barkley’s multi-generational insight research in 2009, which was at the forefront of understanding how to market to Millennials, Millennial Parents, Gen Z, corporate culture and corporate sustainability. His work on these topics has led to a collection of books, multiple white papers, and speaking engagements on the subject.
He is also a thought leader in the B2B sector and the consumer packaged goods category. This includes his leadership in the introduction, development, and implementation of segmentation market structure studies to identify consumer segments, consumer need states, and white space business opportunities for multiple product categories including outdoor power equipment, recreational vehicles, refrigerated yogurt, frozen dairy, sweet baked goods, red meats proteins, rice, and dairy-based snacks. He also has led the development of U.S. Hispanic brand strategy for three categories.
“It’s clear that Brad is a transformative leader and his track record speaks for itself,” Trozzolo said. “We are now positioned for exponential growth not just in Milwaukee and Kansas City, but nationwide. This is just the first move. We’re excited for what’s ahead.”
Trozzolo’s Milwaukee office is growing at a steady clip. The team now has 12 team members, backed by the agency’s 80-person team across creative, media, PR, digital and video at its Kansas City headquarters.
Milwaukee is also home to Carl Collective, Trozzolo’s unique partnership with Marquette University, where college students work alongside the agency team to gain real-world experience. This one-of-a-kind “Alma Mater Marketing” allows businesses and alumni in the region to support the development of Marquette’s best and brightest students.