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Neenah, WI—Mark Smelzer, former publisher of JCK magazine, has been named chief content executive, a newly-created position at Jewelers Mutual Group.

Smelzer comes to Jewelers Mutual from a 17-year career as publisher of JCK magazine and JCKonline. During his tenure, he oversaw the publication's evolution from a print magazine to a digital platform, introduced the JCK Content Studio for content marketing, and participated in the launch of a podcast, a new subscription service, and the expansion of the JCK Talks conference session brand online. In the greater jewelry industry, he also serves on the boards of the Jewelers’ Security Alliance and Jewelers Vigilance Committee.

Smelzer's experience as a publishing executive along with his industry knowledge make him uniquely qualified for the newly created position, says Mike Alexander, Jewelers Mutual executive vice president. “We are proud to create one of the industry’s first executive roles dedicated primarily to the production of content. In today’s digital environment, content plays an essential role in building strong and recognizable brands and we are excited to have Mark lead the charge.”

As part of the Jewelers Mutual team, Smelzer will lead the content development and strategies to bolster the Zing® platform brand, increase understanding of customers’ preferences, and drive growth for the platform. The Zing platform provides jewelers easy access to Jewelers Mutual’s core products and leading service providers together in one place. The digital dashboard features tools and programs such as JM™ Shipping Solution, JM™ Care Plan, Jewelry Appraisal Solution leveraging expertise from Gemworld, Diamond Marketplace powered by IDEX and more. Visit Zing.JewelersMutual.com to discover more benefits.