Mark Stroman

Mark Stroman was an American advertising and marketing executive.

Stroman led several successful entrepreneurial efforts and held key leadership positions at Fortune 500 companies, building businesses at the highest levels throughout his legendary career that spanned nearly four decades. Noted for his unprecedented innovative breakthrough strategies and integrated marketing solutions, he was responsible for two major company acquisitions, including his own agency, Entertainment Marketing Partners. He also generated new business that garnered multi-millions for his clients and helped launch many iconic global marketing campaigns, including “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the “Nobody Better Lay a Finger On My Butterfinger!” campaign featuring Bart Simpson.

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Stroman got his start in television while in high school, producing and starring in his own local cable show. He then was hired at KOFY-TV in San Francisco where he gained incredible experience working in literally every position at the station at one point or another.

Stroman rose to fame as an original member of the Fox Broadcasting Company startup team. He spent 16 years at News Corp. helping propel shows including Family Guy, The Simpsons, Married… with Children, America’s Most Wanted, Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, and The X-Files to mainstream success. Stroman was one of the original 35 employees hired at Fox Broadcasting Company, responsible for creating innovative, return-on-investment (ROI) driven promotions with major brands such as Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch, Polaroid, Levi’s, Sprint and Visa. As SVP, National Promotions, he was promoted to design and develop News Corp One, the integrated media/marketing group representing all Rupert Murdoch-owned businesses.

After his tenure at News Corp., Stroman served as Senior Vice President of Marketing for IWIN.com, a games-for-fun website, which sold for $140 million after just nine months in operation. After that sale, he and his twin brother, Erik, also an entertainment, sales, and gaming executive, left IWIN.com and became the founding agents of the marketing division at Endeavor. Both Mark and Erik began building relationships directly with brands/agencies and Ari Emanual’s stable of writers, producers, directors, and actors in Hollywood. Key clients included Maserati, The CW, Jet Blue, UPN, Hallmark Channel, Activision-Blizzard, 20th Century Fox, and Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions.

Following his stint at Endeavor, Mark and Erik formed their own company, Entertainment Marketing Partners (EMP), where Mark executive produced multiple New Year’s Eve TV specials for FOX and executed multi-million campaign launches for video game franchises, including Tony Hawk, Call of Duty, and Guitar Hero. They sold EMP to Omnicom in 2006.

Stroman then spent over a decade at McGhee Entertainment, supporting the iconic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band KISS. He oversaw everything from launching new albums to leveraging the KISS brand through highly visible partnerships with Google Play, Snapchat, Yahoo LIVE 365, AXS TV, AEG, and Live Nation. He also executed global co-branded marketing campaigns with John Varvatos, BMW Mini Cooper, John Paul Mitchell Systems, Supercuts, NFL Films, Pro Bull Riders, and many others. In addition to representing KISS, he was integral to the promotional and marketing efforts for the multi-platinum recording artist Darius Rucker and legendary rock guitarist Richie Sambora, as well as a host of other McGhee artists.

Most recently, Stroman was the Chief Marketing Officer at SPIN Media and was consulting on numerous projects with his brother Erik.

Stroman is a Reggie award winner and has been recognized by a host of others for his work creating innovative and ROI-based integrated marketing solutions. He served as an officer, and was twice Chairman of the Board of Directors of PROMAX, the world’s largest promotion and marketing trade association. He served on the Board for the T.J. Martell Foundation, raised funds for Wounded Warriors Project as well as the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Stroman died February 22, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. He was 58.