RobertM BlakeJr

A longtime publishing and media industry professional, Robert M. Blake, Jr. is currently looking for new professional opportunities. He is especially interested in professional challenges that will refine his existing skills and take full advantage of his solid work ethic, experience, and passion for advertising, marketing, and media sales. An industry insider, Robert has worked with all levels of major media outlets, from entry level personnel to CEOs.

His greatest strength is his proven ability with people. Robert M. Blake, Jr. takes a customer-focused attitude to sales, approaching each account as an individual, assessing its needs, and developing effective communication and solid relationships. He believes in dealing with clients proactively, developing media campaigns that present their individual strengths in the best possible light for business growth. He is comfortable with a wide array of media platforms, working equally proficiently in new media and social networking as well as traditional print and broadcast outlets. Robert Blake, Jr. believes that we are at a key point in the evolution of modern media, and that experience and steady guidance are necessary for the success of any business hoping to make use of those tools. Guided by 35 years of experience, Robert is a proven presence in the industry, helping businesses of all sizes to navigate their way through the increasingly complex contemporary media landscape.

On a personal note, Robert is a proud father of three grown children, all of whom have gone on to lead successful and meaningful lives. An avid gardener, he takes great pride in his ability to rescue dead or dying houseplants. He’s a dedicated golf and art enthusiast, who has often spoken of opening his own gallery if given the chance.

Robert M. Blake, Jr.’s current professional success and ability are the products of 35 years of refinement and experience. He attended Texas Technical University in Lubbock, Texas, where he earned a bachelor of science in journalism and advertising. He was a successful student, a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honors fraternity, and served as a part time instructor at a local community college. After graduation, Robert found work as a territorial sales person for the Caller-Times in Corpus Christi, Texas. He was a rapid success in the field, quickly earning a promotion to corporate manager of retail sales for Hartle-Hanks Communications as a whole. Based in Dallas, Texas, Robert was responsible for representing 27 company daily newspapers and working with leading retailers and advertisers nationwide with regard to marketing and media needs. From there, he would move into other positions within the same company, working as the retail sales manager for the Anderson Independent in Anderson, South Carolina, and as the advertising director for the Denison Herald in Denison, Texas. This diverse array of experience honed his capabilities by providing him with extensive opportunities to both apply and refine the education he had generated in the classroom and in the field.

From Harte-Hanks, Robert M. Blake, Jr. made the leap into direct advertising, taking a position as a market-level advertising director for the Gannett Company, Inc, in New York City, New York. Responsible for three Gannett markets in Jackson, Mississippi, Ithaca, New York, and Jackson, Tennessee, he managed retail, national, and classified ad sales. He was further responsible for developing extensive budgets, eventually producing the budgeting model currently in use across all Gannett newspaper operations. Robert also headed the most successful conversion in company history, moving the Jackson Sun of Jackson, Tennessee, from an afternoon to an evening publication.

His connections in Jackson, Tennessee, led him to pursue another professional avenue in the area. Robert M. Blake, Jr. began working for the Strategic Research Center, Inc. in Jackson as an independent marketing coordinator. There he developed a comprehensive marketing plan for the McWherter Regional Center for the Performing Arts. This involved developing careful demographic profiles of the market and the potential audience, implementing a marketing communications program, fund raising, programming development, and all other aspects of general management. This proved a rewarding experience, giving Robert greater professional exposure and allowing him to create something lasting and good in the community.

During his involvement with the Strategic Research Center, Robert M. Blake Jr. elected to diversify his professional experience further. He accepted a position with Thrifty Nickle, serving as the general manager and minority partner at the Greensboro, North Carolina, location of the business. He would later assume control of the sales development program for the San Antonio location, where he created and sold the first employment directory in the publication’s history. Robert M. Blake Jr. would remain in San Antonio, working for Red Plum Advertising as a territorial account executive. His aptitude for demographic and geographical audience targeting was useful, as he developed a detailed mail marketing plan for the area that led to a demonstrable increase in sales for various clients.

When he moved on from Red Plum, Robert M. Blake, Jr. took a position with the Hearst Publishing Corporation, one of the giants of the industry. Working for its subsidiary in San Antonio, the San Antonio Express-News & MySA.com, Blake served as a national and local advertising account executive. His responsibilities were vast and wide ranging. He consulted extensively with local and national telecommunications and financial clients in order to increase the revenue base of the business via strategic planning and the creative execution of advertising campaigns and messages. As part of the marketing and advertising efforts, Robert contributed to many multi product advertising solutions for a wide variety of clients, including:


• Frost Bank
• Chase Manhattan
• Wells Fargo
• Amegy Bank
• IBC
• Security Service FCU
• USAA
• Humana
• Cricket
• AT&T
• Verizon
• T-Mobile
• Sprint


These campaigns drew heavily upon Robert M. Blake Jr.’s extensive experience in working with financial entities as well as the publishing and media worlds. He also led the way in diversifying the approach to media used in these sorts of marketing campaigns, incorporating new media of all kinds. The Internet was still developing territory for advertisers, and new outlets and means of customer communication were coming into play each year. Robert took the lead within the company in developing approaches to these new media for the benefit of his clients.

Blake’s time at Hearst was highly productive, both for him and for his company as a whole. Under his leadership, the company made consistent gains in both profits and market share. Year after year the company made gains, reached or exceeded its sales goals, and raising the bar for the industry. Robert and his team were the winners of multiple achievement awards during this time, and they consistently pushed forward rather than resting on their laurels.

Robert’s personal life also thrived during this period. He successfully raised three children, who all went on to lead positive and purposeful lives. One son is a pilot serving in the United States Air Force and another owns a growing business building homes in San Antonio. He and his wife are expecting twins—Robert’s first grandchildren. His daughter just earned a master’s degree from New York University. Outside of his work and family obligations, Robert also developed his own interests. Throughout his travels he has always held an appreciation for art, seeking out galleries and museums wherever he goes. He also found his own creative outlet refinishing wooden furniture. His attention to detail found a new home in carefully restoring wooden furniture to life and long-lost beauty. He developed a love of plants, taking great pride in learning how to restore ailing houseplants, allowing them to once again brighten living spaces. The diverse nature of Robert M. Blake, Jr.’s passions became the mark of a life well lived.

Robert M. Blake, Jr.’s career is still building momentum. After his successes at Hearst, Robert is currently seeking his next challenge. His interests have grown, professionally speaking, and Robert is currently interested in positions that would allow him to continue developing new approaches to media in the light of the ongoing IT revolution. Digital media has reshaped America’s information landscape, leading to the decline of many traditional means of communication. The ongoing issues facing print newspapers are now infamous in the United States, with most multi-outlet markets seeing at least a few newspaper closures over the last year. This media shift has, by necessity, had an impact on the advertising and marketing worlds. Targeting of the audience, the demographics of viewership, and consumer interaction with advertising and marketing materials continue to evolve, and the approaches used by businesses of all kinds with regard to marketing must keep pace. Robert would like to bring his experiences in the field to help businesses of all sizes navigate these changes and find a route to PR success.

He would also like to find a position that would make use of his financial acumen. Robert’s profit and cost projection models are still in use today at Hearst Media, and he would like to leverage that experience into providing a similar benefit to another employer.

Personally, Robert continues to pursue his hobbies, study his field, and spend time with his family. He’s looking forward to being a grandfather and having new little ones to spoil. Robert M. Blake, Jr.’s story is an eventful one, and it’s far from over.