Best Buy's No. 2 Marketer Departs for JC Penney

Ms. Anik, senior VP-marketing communications at Best Buy, joins Dallas-based JC Penney Nov. 26 as senior VP-director of brand marketing. Ms. Anik's departure comes four months after Best Buy shifted its estimated $200 million account to Omnicom Group's BBDO Worldwide, New York. Best Buy Advertising Prior to this shift, Ms. Anik had overseen the retailer's large in-house creative department, known as Best Buy Advertising, or BBA. A former Pillsbury Co. marketing executive, Ms. Anik rose through the ranks since joining Best Buy in 2000 as VP-media and was promoted to her current position in 2002. Since rumors began surfacing over a year ago that Best Buy might dismantle its in-house agency that numbers 150, the consumer-electronics retailer has repeatedly argued that BBA was still relevant in combination with an outside agency and would continue to handle duties such as a weekly insert program and other specialized marketing areas, including Hispanic marketing, direct marketing and loyalty programs. Lisa Hawks, a spokeswoman for Best Buy, said BBA will continue to handle those duties. "Ruby's vision of a hybrid model for marketing communications and tapping the best internal and external resources continues," Ms. Hawks said. According to a Best Buy spokeswoman, the retailer has no plans to conduct a search for Ms. Anik's replacement.

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