Lanfranco returns as The Signal’s ad director
Brad Lanfranco is back at The Signal to complete a turn-back-the-clock leadership team built by Publisher Richard Budman, who, earlier this month, purchased the 99-year-old Santa Clarita Valley newspaper.
A familiar face in the local community for nearly three decades, Lanfranco on Monday assumed the role of advertising director, a position he held from 2009-13, citing his relationship with Budman and his desire to help local businesses raise their profile through The Signal’s unique suite of professional services.
Lanfranco’s reappearance followed Tim Whyte’s return a week earlier as The Signal’s top editor, a position he held during Budman’s initial stint as publisher in the mid-2000s.
“I returned to The Signal because of the new publisher, Richard Budman, and because I have always loved the local Santa Clarita Signal newspaper and The Signal website,” said Lanfranco, who has more than 25 years of leadership experience in a variety of industries, including media, and owns It’s a Grind Café in Castaic along with his wife, Lea. “I have known Budman for many, many years and he is a talented and experienced publisher and I am excited and humbled that he asked me to be a part of the new Signal team.”
In his new role, Lanfranco will oversee a growing team of multimedia sales professionals who work to help local businesses connect with customers through a variety of print products and on multiple digital platforms. The Signal’s service to the local community will expand in July to include a free Sunday news magazine.
The Signal will soon be recruiting for two additional sales professionals to join the existing team of Maureen Daniels, Michael Madigan, Toni Sims and Peter Smith, Lanfranco said.
“The Signal is the No. 1-most viewed local news/media site and the new Sunday Signal Magazine will be direct-delivered to 70,000 homes, giving us a penetration rate in the community of more than 90 percent. In addition, we have an incredible team of multimedia experts in digital and video production, and we have creative artists who can design exciting ad campaigns in any format for any Santa Clarita business to assist in taking their business to the next level,” Lanfranco said. “There is no other local product in the Santa Clarita Valley that can deliver the customer penetration rate that we can.”
A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Lanfranco has been active in multiple community organizations, including Rotary, the Elks Lodge and the SCV Chamber of Commerce. Also, Lanfranco in January won special election for a seat on the Castaic Area Town Council.
“I am very pleased to announce Brad as our new advertising director,” Budman said. “Brad brings us a lot of experience and community relations that will help us in reaching out to the business community.”
After leaving The Signal in 2013, Lanfranco worked 3 ½ years as a senior manager at the Ventura County Star. Since February 2017, Lanfranco has served as district manager for the non-partisan National Write Your Congressman program.
Lanfranco can be reached at 661-287-5557 and via email at blanfranco@signalscv.com.