UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC RECORDS Announces Theda Sandiford as VP, Digital Marketing

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC RECORDS has appointed Theda Sandiford as VP, Digital Marketing. She will spearhead the label's further expansion into the online and mobile realms, maximizing exposure for artists and fostering community development immensely.

“It's an honor to have Theda on our team. Her passion for innovation is inspiring and invigorating. She's going to be a tremendous asset to the company and our artists.”

Sandiford remains on the cutting edge of the digital space. Her prescient perspective regarding this world benefits the label across the board from publicity to marketing to artist development. Overseeing the digital marketing team and reporting to Jim Roppo, EVP, Marketing, she's ready to preserve REPUBLIC's tradition of breaking new artists and breaking ground in the process.

About joining the team, she excitedly exclaims, "Monte and Avery Lipman run the label like a family. There's a really robust artist roster, and I'm excited to work with all of the talent here. Incredible opportunities in this space exist for all of these acts, and I can't wait to help seize those. I want to help build the audience for these artists even more and continue to stay ahead of the game across the board."

EVP of Marketing, Jim Roppo concurs, "It's an honor to have Theda on our team. Her passion for innovation is inspiring and invigorating. She's going to be a tremendous asset to the company and our artists."

Sandiford began making waves in the digital world as Sr. Director New Media for Island Def Jam Music Group from 1999 until 2004. While at the label, Ja Rule dubbed her "Theda.com", and she received acclaim in Entertainment Weekly for envisioning and launching a Foxy Brown comic book site. In 2000, she was honored when the Def Jam website won the award for "best label site" in the Online Hip-Hop Awards. Expanding her horizons, she served as brand manager at AG Mobile (2004-2005), VP marketing & business development for Rush Communications (2005-2008), and most recently as Heatwave Interactive’s marketing director (2010-2011).

About Universal Republic Records

A division of Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company, Universal Republic is home to an all-star roster of multi-platinum, award-winning legends and superstar artists such as 3 Doors Down, Amy Winehouse, Black Sabbath, Colbie Caillat, Eddie Vedder, Enrique Iglesias, Florence + the Machine, Godsmack, Owl City, The Rolling Stones, The Voice (NBC-TV), Gotye, Of Monsters & Men, Mayer Hawthorne, among many others.

It is comprised of innovative imprints and digital business ventures including Republic Nashville (The Band Perry), Cash Money (Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj), Indie Pop (Dev, The Cataracs), Lava Records (Jessie J, Black Veil Brides), SRC (Akon, Melanie Fiona), Aware Records (Mat Kearney), Brushfire (Jack Johnson, G. Love), Tuff Gong (Damian Marley, Stephen Marley), Downtown (Miike Snow), among others.

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