Thunderly names industry veteran to new executive position

Franchise marketing firm Thunderly reported that it has made a key executive move for a newly created leadership position at the company.

The Dallas, Texas-based agency has appointed Carlos Cortinas as its new chief strategy officer.

According to Thunderly, the new position was created to help strengthen its marketing foundation “as brand visibility becomes increasingly critical in a zero-click world.”

Cortinas joins the company after leading creative strategy for several advertising agencies over the past 15 years, during which he created impactful campaigns for high-profile global brands, Thunderly said.

“Strategy has always been at the forefront of everything we do,” said Thunderly co-founder and CEO Scott White. “The addition of Carlos and his years of expertise allows us to provide an additional strategic layer that will enable brands to align every aspect of their marketing communications into a cohesive, structured strategy that is critical in today’s rapidly evolving marketing landscape.”

Thunderly recently introduced its proprietary Thunderly AIM Model (Amplified Integrated Marketing), developed in direct response to the rise of AI-generated search and large language models (LLMs). The AIM Model is designed to help brands maintain control of their messaging through a highly adaptable approach to marketing.

“Franchise brands don’t need more channels,” said Cortinas. “They need a clearer point of view running through all of them. My goal is to help brands ready to grow faster sharpen that point of view in a highly strategic way.”

Thunderly was founded in 1999 and specializes in lead generation, website design, video production, public relations, social media, thought leadership, graphic design, crisis communication, personal branding, and podcast production, along with other offerings.