Atlanta-based sports and entertainment marketing firm MELT last month named Turner Sports Senior Interactive Producer DOUG KROLL Dir of Digital & Social Marketing. Kroll, who spent the last four years in charge of NCAA.com, moved to Atlanta shortly after Turner acquired the digital rights for the sanctioning body in ’11. Kroll said that his job is still to produce content but acknowledges the jump to marketing will take some time to adjust. Kroll: “I was pretty much thrown into the fire with new client business during pitch season here. From that end of things, it is a whole new world. But when you boil it down, the digital and social strategy is the same as running a website.”
THE WEDDING PLANNER: I am going to take the night off on Friday. I look forward to just sitting down with my fiancée, KAREN, and having a good dinner, hanging out with the dog and catching up on my DVR. Because of DVR, I honestly do not even know when my favorite TV shows are on. “MODERN FAMILY” is probably my favorite show right now because it is so clever. But if any big sporting event is on, I will watch it. Right now, the NBA and NHL playoffs take over my TV.
HOT TOWN, SUMMER IN THE CITY: It has been a wild ride the last couple of months. And this summer is going to be crazy, too. We are getting married in August at the Old Edwards Inn in Highlands, N.C. We have a house up there on the lake about a half hour away. We were just up there last weekend to get the boat in the water for the first time this season. I played golf on Mother’s Day and really enjoyed the weather because it gets super hot down here in Atlanta. Any time you can escape and cool down about 15 degrees, you do it in a heartbeat.
ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION: I have a whole bunch of chores to do this weekend with the wedding coming up. One of my tasks has been to pick the first song. I have been lucky because Karen has been doing a lot of the work, so I told her I would take that one off her hands. I’m a big classic rock guy, anything from THE EAGLES to LYNYRD SKYNYRD to THE ROLLING STONES. Before I came down to Atlanta, I was of the adage that I’ll listen to anything except country. But I have to admit, it has grown on me. I love live music and Atlanta has some pretty good spots. One is called Smith’s Olde Bar. They get some smaller acts -- it is kind of like an attic setting. I was just down in New Orleans for my bachelor party. I made it a point to do all the debauchery, but we mixed in some jazz clubs as well. I love that aspect of the city.
A HORSE WITH NO NAME: We have the Preakness Stakes coming up on Saturday. I will get into horse racing for the big events; I kind of grew up on it. Being from Long Island, I wasn’t too far away from Belmont Park and Saratoga. My dad would take me out to the track, so I always look forward to the three big races, especially if the horse is going for the Triple Crown.
THE FABULOUS BAGEL BOY: Being an original New Yorker, I am a bagel snob. But I found a place in town that makes pretty good bagels, called The General Muir. It is kind of a take on a New York deli -- they have really good pastrami and corned beef. We could do breakfast for dinner almost every day of the week; that is one of the reasons I am marrying Karen. Atlanta has really exploded into a foodie town. Some of the biggest chefs open up new restaurants down here all the time. There are a couple of them on our list, and as I look at the calendar, Saturday night might be one of the last times for a while. I am also a pizza snob and I don’t love the pizza down here, so I just make my own. I have a secret love for gelato. There is a place here in town that it seems no matter where we are, we always stop there before coming home. It is probably not the best thing to do before our wedding, but I am kind of obsessed with gelato and ice cream.
