Apple now has a senior director of worldwide product marketing for augmented reality, the company’s first marketing position related to the burgeoning AR field.
According to a new report from Bloomberg, Apple has promoted Frank Casanova, a senior director for iPhone partner marketing, to the newly created role of senior director of worldwide product marketing for augmented reality — highlighting the increased importance attached to the fast-growing sector.
Casanova changed his LinkedIn profile bio to reflect the new title. “I’m responsible for all aspects of Product Marketing for Apple’s Augmented Reality initiative,” the bio says.
The change took effect this month, and he’s the first person to hold this position.
“There’s now a name and face on Apple AR efforts and a person with a track record of working on advanced technology projects at Apple,” said Michael Gartenberg, former senior director of marketing at Apple. “Frank is the ideal person to lead Apple’s efforts in AR.”
Casanova is an Apple veteran, first joining the Cupertino company in 1997 as the senior director of macOS X Graphics, Audio, and Video, a role in which he served for ten years. Casanova was then named the senior director of iPhone partner marketing in 2007, a position he remained in until his move to head of AR marketing this month.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has been a strong proponent of augmented reality as of late and this new appointment represents an important shift for the company’s marketing efforts around the technology. Apple is increasingly incorporating AR technology — where a digital overlay is presented in front of the real world — into its devices through a new generation of cameras, positioning components, and software within its latest iPhone and iPad models.
