5.27.2008 - 09:00am ET

(CSRwire) NEW YORK, NY – May 27, 2008 - BBMG, a branding and marketing firm dedicated to connecting socially responsible companies to the conscious consumer, today announced that it is deepening its expertise in corporate social responsibility and fair trade with the respective hires of brand strategists Eve Smith and Benita Singh to its New York office. BBMG also announced the addition of two staff support roles in New York.

Smith comes to BBMG from The CSR Group, a management and communications consulting firm specializing in corporate social responsibility, where she designed and executed benchmarking studies for Dell, evaluated ethical sourcing models for Whole Foods Market and collaborated to produce the Brown-Forman Corporation's first sustainability report. Previously she worked for FranceTelecom’s Uni2 in Spain, and served as a marketing specialist for an interactive software startup and a global licensing firm. Smith graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in international business administration and Spanish.

"A well-defined and strategic corporate social responsibility program is price of admission for any company looking to make real and lasting connections with increasingly savvy, values-driven consumers," said Raphael Bemporad, founding partner of BBMG. "Eve's CSR expertise positions BBMG to deliver inside-out brand strategy that equips organizations to deliver on their unique promise across every relationship, action and experience."

Since joining BBMG, Smith has played a key role in creating and leveraging the firm's inaugural BBMG Conscious Consumer Report, the first of its kind to combine field research with a national poll to reveal consumer attitudes about the environment and corporate social responsibility. She is also engaged in work for the Interfaith Alliance, Care for Elders, Ocean Conservancy, NPower, Global Strategy Group and Corporate Counseling Associates.

"Joining BBMG enables me to develop new ways to communicate with consumers to create social change," said Smith. "It's invigorating to be a part of an organization that believes that branding extends to how you live in the world and interact with others - and that aligns with my own belief in the value of relationships in building brands."

BBMG's strategic hire of Benita Singh brings significant expertise in fair trade and social entrepreneurship. Prior to joining the firm, she served as vice president of marketing for Lotus by League of Artisans, an organization creating a marketing platform to support sustainable business enterprises in the craft sector in India, where she led a successful re-branding and marketing strategy that ultimately linked artisan groups to Barnes & Noble, GAIAM and Viva Terra. Previously, Singh co-founded Mercado Global, a nonprofit fair trade organization linking women artisans in Guatemala to broader markets, including Whole Foods. She graduated with high distinction from Yale University with dual degrees in comparative literature and international studies.

"As fair trade and social responsibility move to the mainstream, we're seeing a greater demand for brand strategies that help organizations align their marketing with strategic and measurable social action," added Bemporad. "Benita brings a depth of experience to BBMG as a social entrepreneur, brand strategist and thought leader in fair trade."

Since joining BBMG in January 2008, Singh has led the firm's new business strategy, advised health start-up JIVA Supplements and produced the agency's Eve of Sustainability event with LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability).

"I am thrilled to join BBMG at a major inflection point for both the agency and the new sustainable marketplace," said Singh. "My work abroad has affirmed my belief that authentic branding and marketing hold the potential to transform not just an organization's message, image and experience, but the lives of the people it impacts and the social issues it seeks to address."

Two More Additions to BBMG – New York

BBMG also announced the addition of assistant account executive Makena Cahill and bookkeeper and office manager Dannae Enright to its New York office.

Makena Cahill joined BBMG from Hill Holliday, where she held the position of junior copywriter on the Verizon Wireless account, writing promotional radio and print campaigns with a primary focus on youth marketing. Previously Cahill provided account and creative support throughout the inception and launch of the "Working Wealth" brand for Citi Smith Barney. Cahill holds a BA in English from Connecticut College.

Dannae Enright comes to BBMG with an extensive knowledge of small business operations, which she honed while managing back-end operations for a jewelry manufacturing company and keeping the books for Solar Energy Systems, Inc. She also helps implement BBMG's green office standards. Enright received her BFA in glass-making from the California College of the Arts in Oakland, California.

About BBMG

Based in New York City and San Francisco, BBMG is a branding and integrated marketing agency dedicated to helping socially responsible organizations harness the laws of branding to stand out, build relationships, win loyalty and inspire action. www.bbmg.com.

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