Calhoun – Director Of Multicultural Marketing @ Kodak.

Eastman Kodak Company announced that Essie L. Calhoun has been named Director of Multicultural Marketing, a worldwide post dedicated to generating more business among the rising population of seniors, people with disabilities, and those of varied sexual orientation and ethnic backgrounds.

In this capacity, Calhoun, a corporate vice president, will report to Carl E. Gustin Jr., Chief Marketing Officer and a corporate senior vice president. Calhoun will continue to serve in her current role of Director, Community Relations and Contributions, reporting to Michael P. Benard, Director, Communications & Public Affairs, and a corporate vice president. Her new title, effective immediately, is Director, Multicultural Marketing, Community Relations and Contributions.

“Multicultural marketing is a huge opportunity for Kodak,” Gustin said. “The values associated with the Kodak brand – family, quality, trust – are exactly those cherished by ethnic communities. Under Essie Calhoun’s leadership, we intend to increase the use of pictures in these communities and to increase Kodak’s share in these exciting and growing markets.”

Calhoun’s new responsibilities include working with Kodak’s consumer and commercial businesses, and their advertising agencies, to generate research and advertising in support of multicultural marketing efforts. She also will work with Kodak’s brand and presence marketing team to reach multicultural audiences at the Olympics and other international events sponsored by Kodak. All these efforts are geared at expanding Kodak’s share of the multicultural market.

This work will dovetail with Calhoun’s additional responsibility for community relations and contributions, in which she serves as the liaison between Kodak and organizations worldwide pursuing societal improvement.

“Customers and consumers in multicultural markets care not only about the performance of a company’s products, but also about a company’s performance in supporting efforts to better society,” Calhoun said. “Multicultural marketing means getting the best ideas, from the broadest spectrum of people, in order to build new markets and offer all customers the best products and services. It’s this approach that drives sales.”

Calhoun began her career at Kodak as a Copy Products Division Sales Representative in 1982, later holding positions as a Marketing Specialist and Sales Manager. In 1988, Calhoun joined Communications & Public Affairs as Director of Public Affairs Planning. A year later, she was appointed Director of Community Relations, and in 1994 she assumed her current position as Director, Community Relations and Contributions. In 2000, she was elected a corporate vice president.