Mission North hires Tom Blim as EVP of digital and content

NEW YORK: Mission North has hired Tom Blim as EVP of digital and content. 

In the newly created role, Blim will lead digital and content strategy for the agency by fostering creative innovation, mentoring teams and delivering “high-impact storytelling that enhances brand narratives, activates audiences and drives performance,” the firm said in a statement. 

Blim joined the agency in September and leads a team of about ten staff across content, digital and creative. He reports to Mission North co-CEO Tyler Perry.

“We’ve been continuing to grow our integrated services, not as a replacement for earned media, but in reflection of such a crowded content market,” Perry said of the need for a digital content lead in this moment. “Candidly, newsrooms are shrinking and for companies to make the impact that they want through a communications program, you’ve got to also supplement earned with owned content.” 

The digital and content lead role will be focused on guiding clients through the evolving landscape of integrated communications and digital marketing, including different social channels, in response to the current market, according to Perry. 

“One of the more liberating aspects of social media is that it allows companies to easily tell their authentic stories,” Blim said. “While this has been amazing, so many companies still don’t get it or push back because they assume it’s too expensive or complicated. Or, they believe that they don’t have the credibility to tell their stories creatively.”

He added, “Frankly, they’re wrong. Everyone does. B2B has evolved, but it has a long way to go. I am excited to partner with Mission North to advance this.”

With Blim’s hire, Perry said the goal for Mission North’s digital and content team is to shift how content is created away from traditional B2B long form to operationalize large scale, mixed content utilizing the benefits of artificial intelligence to supplement human strategy and creativity. 

Blim comes to Mission North from Group SJR where he served as a founder and global president for 16 years. The content marketing firm is an operating unit of WPP. Group SJR was acquired by Hill & Knowlton in 2013, but divested in 2018 to operate independently within the holding company. 

During his time with Group SJR, Blim produced over $150 million in revenue and worked across brands including Spotify, Target and Home Depot, according to Mission North. He departed Group SJR in 2023 and has been consulting in the interim.

Prior to joining the firm in 2007, Blim served as president and CEO of Sawyer Miller, a division of Weber Shandwick, where he led strategic communications and advertising for global brands such as Microsoft.

Mission North is an integrated communications agency headquartered in New York. The firm reported a 3% revenue increase to $23 million in 2023, according to PRWeek’s Agency Business Report 2024.