Quibi’s Brand and Content Marketing Exec Resigns Two Weeks After App Launch

By Todd Spangler

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Another top executive at Quibi has left the fledgling streamer: Megan Imbres, head of brand and content marketing, is leaving the company after a year in the role, Variety has confirmed.

Imbres, whose exit comes two weeks after Quibi’s April 6 launch, oversaw creative development for all of the short-form streaming service’s brand and content marketing executions, including its Super Bowl LIV ad . Prior to joining the company in April 2019, she spent six years at Netflix in various marketing positions.

In a memo to staff Wednesday, Imbres said she felt it was an “opportune time” to depart now that Quibi had launched, a source tells Variety.

“Now that we are on the other side of launch, I’ve made the very hard decision to leave Quibi,” Imbres wrote in the email. “It feels like an opportune time of transition where I can take some time to identify my next challenge.”

Imbres is the latest executive to leave Jeffrey Katzenberg’s ambitious company, bankrolled to the tune of $1.75 billion. In November, head of content operations Diane Nelson, former president of DC Entertainment, said she was departing after 10 months at Quibi to care for a family member. Last August, head of partnerships and advertising Tim Connolly had his position eliminated after working at the company less than a year. A few weeks later, content executive Janice Min stepped down , unrelated to Connolly’s exit.

In a statement about Imbres’ departure, a Quibi spokeswoman said, “Megan played an important leadership role in the development of Quibi’s unique brand. She helped build an all-star content and brand marketing team that is well-equipped to transition Quibi from pre-launch to launch. We wish her all the best in her next endeavor.”

The Wall Street Journal first reported Imbres’ exit from Quibi.

In her LinkedIn profile, Imbres described her role at Quibi by saying, “In true start-up fashion, I’ve built a marketing team from 0. This all-star team is responsible for all go-to-market activities for Quibi including all creative development across content and brand, social media creative and channel management as well as brand media spend. In addition, this team develops all creative for the Quibi app itself, ensuring a seamless experience from all marketing touch points to in-app experience.”

Quibi announced Wednesday that it had surpassed 2.7 million app downloads in the first two weeks of launch, a figure that research firm Sensor Tower said was plausible if the tally included re-downloads and installs by individual users on multiple devices. The company — whose “quick-bite” programming is currently available only to watch on mobile devices — also said it plans to launch the ability to “cast” streams from the Quibi app to TVs in May .

With Imbres’ departure, Quibi’s two lead marcomm executives now are head of growth marketing Juan Bongiovanni (who is also a Netflix alum) and head of corporate communications Gina Stikes (formerly with YouTube). Both report to CEO Meg Whitman.

Jordan Moreau contributed to this report.