Twitch brings in Patel to direct on sales
Krishan Patel has joined Amazon-owned livestreaming service Twitch as EMEA Director of Sales. He will be responsible for the strategic direction of Twitchs commercial advertising team and lead the company’s rapidly growing advertising business, customer engagement and brand partnerships in the region.

With 18 years of global marketing, technology and business development experience in roles across the agency, publisher, telecommunications and ad tech space, Patel joins Twitch from Amazon where, as Director of Business Development for Asia Pacific, he led the company’s consumer business development and worldwide original equipment manufacturer partnership team.

“Twitch is more than a live streaming service – it is a genuine community and a dynamic place where creators can share the things they love with a community of millions,” commented Patel. “We have an incredible suite of solutions available to allow businesses to meaningfully interact with our unique and highly engaged audience in a creative and meaningful way. As we continue to grow across EMEA, I am looking forward to helping brands understand the art of the possible on Twitch and how we can help them deliver successful campaigns at scale.”

Solomon named CMO at Overstock
Overstock.com, an eCommerce home furnishings retailer, has welcomed Elizabeth Solomon as Chief Marketing Officer. She will oversee Overstock’s marketing efforts, including customer acquisition and retention, marketing communications, and marketing technologies.

Solomon most recently served as Head of Marketing for Amazon’s global private brands portfolio. Prior to Amazon, she held senior marketing leadership positions with consumer Fortune 100 companies, including Samsung Electronics, Walmart, and Nestlé.

“I am thrilled to join such an innovative and passionate executive team that has led the company through an amazing year of growth,” said Solomon. “I’m excited about the opportunities ahead and helping further amplify Overstock’s reputation as the premier online shopping destination for home furnishings.”

M&C Saatchi makes management changes
Tim Duffy has been promoted to the newly created role of Group Strategy Director, Worldwide, with Richard Thompson succeeding him as UK Group Chairman, at comms agency M&C Saatchi.

Duffy has been with M&C Saatchi since the beginning of the agency in 1995 and has worked with many clients in the UK and internationally.

Thompson joined the M&C Saatchi in 2013 when the agency acquired Merlin. He will continue to be Chairman of M&C Saatchi Talent, where he successfully acquired Red Hare & Grey Whippet to broaden the offering into the influencer space. Thompson is also Chairman of Surrey County Cricket Club (The Oval) and chairs Sport United Against Dementia.

“Tim is a brilliant thinker. Richard Thompson is a brilliant leader. We continue on our mission to deliver Meaningful Change for clients, our people, and the world,” commented Moray MacLennan, M&C Saatchi CEO.

Capano and Jogia promoted at Rakuten
Rakuten Advertising, Rakuten’s affiliate marketing service, has appointed Anthony Capano as North America Managing Director and Rakhee Jogia as International Managing Director. They will focus on growing the business through unparalleled client strategy and service, technology innovation, inventory expansion, and strengthening partnerships with brands and publishers around the world.

Capano served as Managing Director of Rakuten Advertising for almost a decade, beginning in Australia before relocating to London as International Managing Director. In his new position, Capano will create new opportunities for brands arising from deeper integration of Rakuten Americas properties, expanding the companys publisher network and identifying new areas for innovation.

“We have always believed that effective advertising requires more than technology. True success is found by layering technology with the partnerships, service, scale, insights and global reach of a world-class advertising ecosystem,” said Capano. “We are heavily invested in advancing technology and moving the advertising industry forward. I am honored to be part of a great leadership team and dedicated to advancing the revenue-generating value of performance marketing and the strategic influence of media.”

Jogia, who takes up Capano’s former role, will oversee the EMEA, LATAM and APAC markets for Rakuten Advertising, drawing from a decade of programmatic and affiliate experience with the business. Over the past three years, she focused on international partnerships, most recently as Vice President of Publisher Partnerships, International.

“Im excited for the opportunity to drive our clients business objectives and growth plans, especially as we continue to help them navigate a quickly evolving marketplace,” said Jogia. “We pride ourselves on delivering excellence around the globe, and will be looking inwards to strengthen and develop our people so they can excel in their roles and guide our brands and publishers through the coming period of economic recovery. To that end, we plan to introduce new initiatives that will help businesses at every step in their growth journeys take fuller advantage of the combined power of brand and performance marketing.”

DoubleVerify makes pair of EMEA senior hires
Nick Reid and Michael Fuhrmann have joined DoubleVerify (DV), a digital media measurement firm, as Regional Vice President for Northern Europe and Regional Vice President for DACH and Central Eastern Europe, respectively.

Reid will lead the executive of DV’s growth strategy in the UK, Benelux, Nordics, and MENA. He arrives from his role as Global Head of Agency Partnerships for Adobe Advertising Cloud.

“With digital content consumption on the rise and the importance of protecting and optimising ad investments in focus, DV’s role as a trusted provider of quality and performance data is key. I’m looking forward to cultivating relationships across the ecosystem as I head up DV’s team in Northern Europe at what is a pivotal moment for the industry,” commented Reid.

Fuhrmann joins DV in a newly evolved role as a result of the EMEA team growing. He was previously Head of Networks & Emerging, Global Partnerships DACH at Google.

“2020 has shown that it is more important than ever to invest in the right solutions to achieve a secure, high-quality and reliable advertising environment – given fraudsters are becoming bolder, regulations are becoming stricter and consumer privacy is paramount,” said Fuhrmann. “Ad tech is an important piece of the puzzle and I am looking forward to shaping the discourse on brand safety, ad fraud, cookieless targeting and further topics across all channels and environments in DACH and Central Eastern Europe.”

Executive duo appointed at Inmarsat
Mobile satellite telecoms company Inmarsat has hired Barry French as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, while elevating Jat Brainch to Chief Commercial & Product Officer.

French – formerly CMO at Nokia – will sharpen customer focus, drive customer engagement and revenue generation to the next level, ensure Inmarsat is an effective and engaged participant in key policy discussions, and further enhance employee engagement. He joined Nokia in 2006 as Head of Communications, prior to which he was Vice President of Corporate Communications at United Airlines and Director of Corporate Communications at Dell.

Brainch – previously Inmarsat’s Senior Vice President of Group Commercial Management – will be responsible for Inmarsat’s evolving commercial and product strategy and roadmap and to ensuring that the company continues to lead the industry in advanced, customer-centric products and services that are designed specifically for mobility and Government users. Prior to joining Inmarsat in 2019, she held senior roles in telecoms and technology brands including Logica Group (now part of CGI), Telefonica Europe, and T-Mobile (UK).

“To make Inmarsat a truly customer-centric organisation, a key driver is to have the company’s marketing expertise combined under one individual at the executive level.  I am therefore delighted that Barry French, a world-class marketing and communications professional, is able to join us in what promises to be an exciting and transformational journey,” said Inmarsat CEO Rajeev Suri.

“I am also delighted that Jat Brainch will be taking up the vital executive-level CCPO role, which is central to our ability to successfully place the customer at the heart of everything we do.   Since joining Inmarsat, Jat has made an invaluable contribution to the transformation of the business and brings with her a wealth of experience in delivering a customer-centric approach to commercial and product management.”  

GroupM elevates Ruegger to president
Andrew Ruegger has been promoted to Global President of GroupM Commerce. He will scale commerce-focused products and services for clients to realise the data driven opportunities in expanding retail marketplaces and direct-to-consumer efforts. Ruegger also leads the group’s collaboration in WPP workstreams across commerce.

Ruegger is a GroupM veteran of over six years – the last two leading the group’s US commerce offering – with experience across data science, product, technology, strategy, innovation, eCommerce, SEO, and paid search.

“Over the last year, brands and platforms have re-evaluated every aspect of the retail ecosystem, from brand awareness drivers to a seamless transaction experience, to ‘last mile’ distribution channels,” said Ruegger. “Our GroupM network of more than 1,400 experts have market-leading knowledge in all commerce platforms, partners, and media investment options, giving them a specific understanding of how to drive sales for clients. GroupM commands unmatched commerce expertise around the world, designing and managing thousands of interactions and transactions daily, and I’m excited to be a part of it in this new capacity.” 

Brightley joins Langland to direct on creative
Publicis Langland has welcomed Mike Brightley as its Creative Director.

Brightley boasts over 14 years of healthcare advertising experience, working at Ogilvy Healthworld, PAN and, most recently, as Associate Creative Director at TBWA\WorldHealth.

“It’s an exciting time to be joining Langland. I have been working towards this next step in my career for a while and was attracted by the agency’s ambitious vision, deep-rooted commitment to creative excellence and unique approach to healthcare communications,” said Brightley. “Their Think Further ethos encourages curiosity and inspires proactivity: vital traits for a thriving agency culture. I can’t wait to share ideas and experiences with the team, continue to push creative boundaries and deliver the best work of my career.”

OneFootball appoints OTT VP
Nikolaus von Doetinchem has been hired as Vice President of OTT Streaming & Media Rights at football media platform OneFootball. He will oversee the platforms live-streaming and on-demand content offering.

Von Doetinchem joins OneFootball on the back of more than 20 years working within the sports media rights industry and is currently serving as President of Media at SportFive, ahead of his arrival at OneFootball on 19 April.

“The football media landscape continues to rapidly evolve and OneFootball is perfectly positioned to work with rights owners, platforms and broadcasters to provide fans around the world with an unrivalled OTT streaming offering. I look forward to working alongside Lucas and the OneFootball team in the years ahead,” said Von Doetinchem.

Kinsella takes seat on Fenestra board
Programmatic platform Fenestra has added Colin Kinsella to its Board of Directors.

Kinsella led Havas in North America for the last more than four years. Prior to Havas, Colin he served as CEO of Mindshare North America. During his tenure, he managed client relationships across a diverse portfolio, including Volvo, American Express, Unilever, and Nordstrom, and orchestrated the global launch of The Loop.

“The global regulatory environment for digital advertising is changing rapidly, programmatic continues to grow exponentially and advertisers with their agencies are increasingly focused on understanding where their money is going, how it is getting there and how to maximise their business outcomes,” Kinsella said. “Ive spent my career dedicated to that endeavour. As an investor, Ive been blown away by what Fenestra has achieved so far and am excited to help them more actively step-up to the next level.”

Tinuiti adds trio to board
Kevin Mayer, Anneka Gupta, and George Gallate have all taken board spots at performance marketing firm Tinuiti.

Mayer —who over a 23-year career at Disney steered the launch of Disney Plus and led deals such as Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, Lucas Film and 21st Century Fox in addition to serving as CEO of TikTok —will support Tinuiti’s growth plan from acquisitions to global expansion and deepening expertise in emerging social, streaming, and OTT/CTV.

Gupta, President and Head of Products and Platforms at LiveRamp, will apply her cross-divisional product development and data transformation experience to support the evolution of Mobius, Tinuiti’s proprietary suite of AI-powered marketing intelligence and media activation technology.

Gallate, a previous board member and investor in Tinuiti, will help guide the company’s international expansion as well as their continued leadership across Amazon and the broader retail media landscape. He spent 27 years at Havas, serving as Global Chairman and CEO of Havas Digital, and is currently Principal of MKTG2.U.

Pike reeled in by Covatic
Covatic, an in-app experience platform, has hired Daniel Pike as Chief Product Officer. He will be focused on refining the product and delivering value to clients whilst expanding Covatic’s offering as it moves into new markets.

As Head of Strategy at the BBC, Pike led the strategic case for a transformational shift in the BBC’s £1.4bn commercial activities, including the launch of subscription video on demand (SVOD) offers in the UK and USA, the closure of BBC Store, and the acquisition of UKTV.

“What really marks Covatic out – and what really attracted me to them – is that they reject the idea that fantastic in-app experiences can only be achieved via compromises to privacy,” commented Pike. “My focus, as ever, will be on customer and end user requirements – generating insights; creating definable, measurable and targetable user groups; driving retention and growing engagement. Covatic’s offering is unique in the market. I’m looking forward to working closely with clients to drive growth by creating engaging experiences for consumers.”

Jaywing adds pair to senior leadership
Kay Henderson and Chris Langan have joined integrated agency Jaywing as Operations Manager and Organic Media Director, respectively.

Henderson has experience with startups, web-builds, and mobile marketing and was most recently Operations Manager at Fonemedia, where she oversaw a bespoke customisation of the agency’s CRM system.

“I’m really excited to get stuck into this role in Jaywing’s Performance and Media Science team,” said Henderson. “What drew me to Jaywing is the agency’s ethos of collaboration and creativity, which really aligns with me personally. I’m looking forward to the opportunity of making a positive impact on people’s working environment, whilst also helping the business to run more smoothly and efficiently.”

Langan was Search Director at McCann Connected, where he spent four years growing the agency’s organic media offering. He will look to use his expertise to improve integration at Jaywing and drive growth across search strategies.

“Joining Jaywing felt like an easy decision. The talent and skill of the agency is extraordinary, and there’s a real passion to grow and continually meet the challenges our clients face in this unpredictable world,” said Langan.

“The agency has a product that truly differentiates itself from the marketplace and driving Organic Media as a part of the agency vision will be a great experience for me and the team.”

Paley takes up CGO role at Aisle Rocket
Marketing agency Aisle Rocket has hired Mike Paley as its Chief Growth Officer. He will drive business development for Aisle Rocket as the agency positions for robust growth in 2021.

Prior to joining Aisle Rocket, Paley served as Senior Vice President, General Manager at Vestcom. Previously, he held agency leadership roles as Senior Vice President, Shopper Marketing & Experiential at The Marketing Arm/Omnicom and Chief Marketing Officer at Square One.

“I was drawn to Aisle Rocket because it’s uniquely rooted in technology and data that informs dynamic creative, UX and performance media,” Paley said. “The future belongs to agencies that understand how to apply data across all disciplines. Data is no longer limited to just targeting and analytics. Creative and UX is now impacted greatly by data as well. Blending data across disciplines while relying on technology, programmatic buying, and AI is an exciting place to be. I welcome the opportunity to leverage my experience while working with great people to drive quantifiable business results for our clients.”

MediaCom promotes Lim to CPO
Jason Lim has been elevated to the newly created role of Chief Planning Officer at MediaCom US. He will oversee the full audience planning product at MediaCom, directing exceptional strategies into exceptional media plans and measurable growth for clients.

In his 10 years so far at MediaCom, Lim has overseen the performance-based practice and was charged with accelerating and optimising the impact of marketing programs.

“I am thrilled to be leading the charge at MediaCom in ensuring excellence in our media planning, media delivery, and media performance across all brands. Ensuring we continue to drive growth efficiently and effectively in new and dynamic ways,” Lim said.

Crawford added to ChannelAdvisor board
ChannelAdvisor, a cloud-based eCommerce solutions provider, has appointed Linda Crawford to its Board of Directors.

A former Executive Vice President and CEO of Sales Cloud Products at Salesforce, former CEO of Helpshift, and former Chief Revenue Officer and Customer Officer of Optimizely, Crawford brings over two decades leadership experience to ChannelAdvisor.

“As a recognized and respected business leader in the software industry, Linda will provide valuable strategic insight to our Board,” said Timothy Buckley, Chairman of ChannelAdvisor. “Lindas guidance will be instrumental as we continue our work to scale our global leadership position in e-commerce. We are so pleased Linda has joined our Board of Directors, and believe she will be a tremendous asset to ChannelAdvisor.”

Contend names president after gaining independence
David Blaser has been appointed President at creative studio Contend following its ‘amicable split’ with Mosaic.

With more than 20 years of experience in the marketing world, with a client-side  leadership role at Activision Publishing and in senior roles at leading ad agencies, including TBWA\Chiat\Day, AKQA, and 180 LA and Amsterdam, Blaser has a track record for delivering culturally impactful campaigns for brands including Nike, Playstation, Call of Duty, and Adidas.

“Having worked on both the agency and client sides of the business, Contend was an opportunity to do something different. Both Steven and I think this is the agency model of the future, with modular services that can break apart to fit a client’s needs, the creative freedom to stretch the boundaries and the flexibility to create custom solutions. We’re excited to see where it goes,” said Blaser.

Trio join Stationhead board
Stationhead, a social audio platform, has appointed Andrew McInnes, Bill Wesemann, and Avi Ellman to its Board of Directors.

McInees, Co-founder and CEO of TMWRK Management, will will bolster Stationhead’s ability to bring top talent to the platform, which has already hosted the likes of Trey Songz and Polo G.

Wesemann has experience serving in chief executive, sales leadership, and advisory roles at successful technology companies, including as an executive for Steve Jobs at NeXT computers. He is an early investor/advisor to Sonos, and a member of the board for LivePerson and Mylio.

Ellman, a Managing Partner at Delta Global, will bring his experience in live events to the board, having built and sold the largest liv event merchandiser in Latin America.

“Having Andrew McInnes, Bill Wesemann and Avi Ellman join our board adds another layer of invaluable expertise to the Stationhead team,” said Ryan Star, CEO of Stationhead. “As we move into the next phase of growth, these leaders will support Stationhead’s ambitious strategic plan to redefine radio and the future of social audio.”

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Ogilvy names Bulchandani North America CEO
Devika Bulchandani has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Ogilvy North America and Global Chairwoman of Advertising. Bulchandani will be responsible for driving all aspects of Ogilvys core business across the US and Canada which spans advertising, brand & content, public relations & influence, experience, growth & innovation, and health.

Most recently Bulchandani served as President of North America for McCann Worldgroup. Prior to being appointed to that role in December 2019, she was President of McCann New York. Bulchandani is also a founding member of Times Up Advertising – where she has tirelessly championed equality for women in advertising, particularly for women of colour – and an active Board member of the Ad Club in New York.

“Few people blazed trails in this industry the way that David Ogilvy did, and Im invigorated by the opportunity to work with Andy to shape Ogilvys future,” said Bulchandani. “At this time of immense change, I look forward to harnessing the creative brilliance and diverse expertise of Ogilvys global network to solve problems and create lasting value for clients.”

Darné takes charge of production at new Shutterstock creative arm
Stock photography company Shutterstock has hired Aiden Darné as Head of Global Production for Shutterstock Studios. He will oversee global production and strategy of the newly launched Shutterstock Studios, which offers brands custom content matched with production tools and services at scale.

Most recently Darné held the role of Senior Vice President of Production at Vice Media Group, where he ran the studio for commercial and editorial production across North America. Prior to Vice, he was Vice President of Production at Viacom, where he ran the East Coast production team for Viacom Digital Studios.

“I’m thrilled to join Shutterstock at such an exciting time for the company. Now more than ever, there is growing demand for a global production infrastructure that is focused through the lens of authentic local experts,” said Darné. “Shutterstock Studios is uniquely positioned to succeed with its expansive and diverse global network of contributors and creatives. It has a bright future and Im honoured to join at the start of its exciting and flourishing journey.”

Adjust elevates Madding and Kiriakis
Katie Madding and Bill Kiriakis have been promoted to Chief Product Officer and Chief Revenue Officer, respectively, at app marketing platform Adjust.

Madding will oversee overall product strategy at Adjust, including the companys expanding product and engineering teams. She started working at Adjust in 2014, serving as Integration Engineering Director before eventually progressing to her most recent role as Vice President of Product.

Kiriakis will assume executive leadership of all of the company’s global sales functions. He joined the company in January as Senior Vice President of Global Sales.

“Katie and Bill have done a fantastic job bringing Adjusts industry-leading products to market and strengthening our teams around the world,” said Christian Henschel, Co-founder and CEO of Adjust. “Their complementary leadership will be integral to achieving our ambitious goals of servicing all of our clients mobile marketing needs over one platform.”

Barash joins Zeotap to lead partnerships
Zeotap, a customer intelligence platform, has hired Matt Barash as its Senior Vice President of Global Publishing & Platform Partnerships. He will lead the commercial development of Zeotap’s ID+ solution.

Barash, who has more than 20 years of media and technology experience, most recently served as SVP of Strategy & Business Development at AdColony, where he oversaw global strategy, marketing and all commercial relationships with automated advertising, data and marketing technology partners. He has previously held programmatic leadership positions at Forbes and News Corp.

“Todays digital economy demands a balance of privacy and personalisation.  With ID+, Zeotap provides partners with a unique opportunity to ensure one-to-one marketing in a cookie-less world” Barash said. “I’m excited to join a world class team at Zeotap to partner with publishers and platforms and help them to future proof their businesses as digital enters a new era.”

PubMatic gives Daimler board seat
Susan Daimler has joined the Board of Directors at ad tech company PubMatic.

Daimler oversees the Premier Agent and StreetEasy businesses at Zillow Group, and manages an organisation spanning strategy, product, engineering, sales, corporate relations, and operations. She joined Zillow in October 2012 after the company’s acquisition of Buyfolio. She also co-founded travel website SeatGuru.

“Rajeev [Goel] and I have known each for over twenty years, taking similar career paths in digital entrepreneurship and leadership. This is an exciting time for PubMatic, as digital media expands across channels including mobile app and CTV. I’m honoured to be asked to serve on their Board of Directors,” said Daimler.

Malevsky chosen as growth chief at HyperJar
Budgeting app HyperJar has recruited Natalie Malevsky as its Chief Growth Officer. She will be responsible for the app’s growth in the UK, through end-to-end leadership of brand development & PR, consumer acquisition campaigns, and app engagement.

Malevsky’s 20 years’ experience spans media brands including AOL, Disney, BskyB, and Dow Jones. She was most recently Vice President of Product Marketing at Culture Trip.

“I’m thrilled to be joining such a high-calibre team at an important time for HyperJar and the FinTech industry,” said Malevsky.

“Consumers often have an uneasy relationship with debt and finances, and things have got even more complicated with the pandemic. It’s a great marketing challenge, and a timely one. I intend to use my category experience and knowledge of positive psychology to help HyperJar customers build their money ‘trust muscle’ by planning and spending their money smarter and with greater confidence.”

Havas selects Reddington as new partner
James Reddington has joined Havas Media Manchester as Managing Partner. He will provide additional client leadership across the agency’s BBC business, ensuring the continued delivery of best-in-class planning and client service.

Reddington joins the media agency after almost 24 years at Carat Manchester, where he oversaw clients including Barratt Homes, Manchester Airport Group, and Greggs as Group Business Director.

“The opportunity to help grow Havas Media Manchester and to support on the BBC business is exactly the sort of challenge I was looking for after nearly 24 years in my previous role,” said Reddington.

“We can offer clients the best of both worlds – the agility you’d usually associate with a small agency and the backing of one of the most respected networks in the UK. I can’t wait to get started.”

Pair of senior appointments made at Wolfenden
Leeds-based digital marketing agency Wolfenden has hired Meghan Burton as Operations Director and Emma Barnes as Senior Data & Insights Strategist.

Burton joins the board in a newly-created position that oversees all production teams and output. She arrives from Epiphany (now Jaywing), where she was most recently Production Director.

“I’m delighted to be joining Wolfenden in such an exciting phase for the agency,” said Burton. “The clear talent and dedication of our team has been reinforced by recent growth in our client base, and I’m really looking forward to continuing working together to empower the team and clients to achieve even greater things.”

Barnes has been hired as Wolfenden begins to define its approach to data and analytics. She was most recently Senior Analytics Strategist at Edit.

“After nine years at Edit and Branded3, it was important to me to choose the right next step, and I’m confident that moving to Wolfenden is just that,” said Barnes.

“It’s been a wonderful experience joining such a down-to-earth and friendly team, who have clearly built such strong partnerships with their clients. Their refreshing approach to educating clients and supporting them to grow means that there is endless opportunity to use data and insights to fuel not just our search strategies, but wider marketing and business plans, too.”

M&C Saatchi gets new leadership
Gareth Davis will become Independent Non-Executive Chairman of M&C Saatchi in the new year, replacing outgoing Chairman and Co-founder Jeremy Sinclair.

The Board will also appoint Moray MacLennan, currently Worldwide Chief Executive Officer, as CEO of M&C Saatchi PLC, succeeding CEO and Co-founder David Kershaw. Bill Muirhead, Executive Director and Co-founder will step down from the Board in March 2021.

“I would like to thank Jeremy, Bill and David for their inspiration and support over many years,” said MacLennan. “25 years ago, M&C Saatchi was founded with the ambition to change the world. That ambition remains. Looking forward we have an opportunity to reset M&C Saatchi for its next chapter and while we will draw on the strengths of the past, the focus will be relentlessly on the future, reflecting and anticipating major changes in society.”

Jobe to lead tech at Cheil
Cheil UK, a digital marketing and advertising agency, has welcomed Gary Jobe as its Head of Technology. Replacing Kevin Durley, his key priorities will be to build a strong developer team to lead key European projects and identify new opportunities from emerging tech trends, applying them to strengthen Cheil UK’s service offerings.

Jobe has more than 20 years’ experience designing and delivering tech solutions. He joins Cheil from Havas UK, where he was Group Head of Technology for almost five years. Before that, he held similar technology head positions at Proximity London, Sky, and Ogilvy.

“I’m excited to join Cheil UK as head of technology, especially at this point in time where digital and technology is urgently at the forefront of our clients’ business needs,” Jobe commented. “Cheil, as a global business, has an enviable legacy being at the cutting edge of technology for almost five decades, and I’m thrilled to have been passed the baton and lead the next technology chapter for the UK agency.”

Silverbean turns to McDonald as head of people
Rebecca McDonald has joined Newcastle-based affiliate marketing agency Silverbean, and its sister agency AGY47, as Head of People and Development. She will ensure there is an increased emphasis on employee growth, development and learning, feeding into the agencies’ focus on a culture that significantly benefits both its clients and its employees.

McDonald arrives at Silverbean with over 13 years of experience, which includes time at Sage and Balfour Beatty.

“Im really excited to join the team, to support our people in their development and contribute to the agency growth,” McDonald said.

Dolgins named CMO at CafeMedia
CafeMedia, a network of independent digital publishers, has chosen Stephanie Dolgins as its first-ever Chief Marketing Officer. Reporting to Chief Executive Officer Michael Sanchez, she will lead all marketing for CafeMedia and AdThrive in support of the companys mission to build a creator-first future for the open web.

Dolgins was previously CMO of Tumblr, where she oversaw brand and consumer marketing, communications, media partnerships, and content and community development. Her other previous roles include CMO at Outcast Media; Head of Marketing at Jetsetter; Senior Vice President & General Manager of AOL’s Women’s, Lifestyle, Teens, Kids, and Multicultural Programming; Vice President of Consumer and Sales Marketing at ABC Internet Group; and Vice President of Sales Development and Creative Services at Walt Disney Internet Group.

“CafeMedia represents the influential voices who make the internet a better place and provides important support for thousands of independent creators and publishers, enabling them to grow their businesses and their audiences,” said Dolgins. “I have spent the better part of my career working at the intersection of digital media, platform and advertising, and believe that helping creators build successful businesses will lead to a richer, more vibrant and diverse internet.”

Shopbrain adds Clarkson as advisor
Robert Clarkson has been appointed as Special Advisor to the CEO and Board of Directors at Shopbrain, a virtual shopping assistant owned by Yroo. He will work closely with CEO James Cunningham and the Board to support the company’s business development and revenue growth plans.

Clarkson is currently Chief Commercial Officer at Norton LifeLock. He has previously been Senior Vice President of Global Business Development & Global Partnerships at PayPal; Vice President and General Manager of Global Commercial Card Enterprise at American Express; and President of Global Business Development at GE Capital Financial.

“Robert is a seasoned executive with an impressive track record of building and growing businesses across a distinguished 30-year career,” said Cunningham. “His experience working with some of the worlds largest financial services firms, payment partners and software companies will provide Shopbrain with access to a vast network of contacts and potential strategic partners. On behalf of the Board, we welcome him to the team and see his addition as clear validation of our business model and growth prospects.”

Johnson takes seat on Amperity board
Customer data platform Amperity has added Kevin Johnson to its Board of Directors.

Johnson is President and Chief Executive Officer of Starbucks. He joined the international coffee shop chain in 2009, before taking up the role of President and Chief Operating Officer in March 2015 and then President and CEO in April 2017. Before Starbucks, Johnson spent five years as CEO of Juniper Networks and 16 years at Microsoft. He also served as the Chairman of the Cybersecurity Committee for NSTAC under both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama.

“The future of all consumer-facing businesses requires a deeper understanding of their customers, the ability to personalise customer experiences, and the agility to recognise and adapt to shifting customer behaviours and preferences,” said Johnson. “Digital customer relationships are the key, and Amperity is in a unique position to help businesses unlock this digital potential by unifying first-party customer data and then enabling the insight and personalisation that elevates the customer experience and builds brand loyalty.”

The post Movers and Shakers: Ogilvy, Shutterstock, Adjust, Zeotap, PubMatic, HyperJar, and more appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

The campaign, created in partnership with M&C Saatchi and Goodstuff as part of the broader ‘Bet Regret’ initiative, features two films where gamblers are pinned down by a wrestler until they agree to ‘tap out’ of their betting apps, saving them from regret.

Launched over the weekend to coincide with the start of the football season, the campaign is primarily aimed at men aged between 18 and 34, and is being run across TV, video on demand, social, and digital display.

“The first year of the Bet Regret campaign had a positive impact on our target audience,” said Professor Sian Griffiths, Chair of the Safer Gambling campaign Board and GambleAware Trustee. “We are looking to build on that success by influencing behaviour change through encouraging sports bettors to ‘tap out’ of their gambling app and take a moment to reflect before placing a risky, impulsive bet. This new campaign is designed to help fans steer clear of Bet Regret and reduce potential gambling harms.”

The post GambleAware encourages gamblers to tap out in latest campaign appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Band and M&C Saatchi Performance– Band UK Launch
BAND is a leading South Korean social messaging app with over 100m users. For its UK launch, it turned to M&C Saatchi Performance for a digital paid-media campaign.

The app enables users to create groups (or ‘bands’) of friends, colleagues, teammates, for easy group communication. Within bands, users can create community boards, shared calendars, host polls, send files or photos, post on the group wall, send instant chat messages and more. Users can create as many bands as they like, with options to make them ‘Open/Closed/Secret’ between other users.

To help BAND cement their position in the UK market, M&C Saatchi Performances focus was on targeting their most engaged users, also known as ‘Active Users’. This was defined as anyone who downloaded the app, created a group (thus becoming a ‘Group Band Leader’) and invited two new users to the app. The success metric was to generate a significant increase in Active Users over a 4-month period.

First-party data from BAND revealed that 71 per cent of the bands created in the first month were for sports teams, enabling M&C Saatchi Performance to target activity towards this area, using sports-focused social media influencers to endorse the app, with paid media activity centred on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. Research among users also informed the creative direction of the campaign, explaining how the app’s features addressed different needs, with the creative refreshed regularly to keep the campaign fresh. In total, the campaign used 1,222 individual ads, pushing BAND to become a top 10 app in the UK as the media spend was constantly optimised towards the best-performing channels.

BitMango and Leadbolt – Mobile Playable Ads for Word Cookies App
Casual mobile games developer BitMango partnered with Leadbolt, a mobile advertising platform, on user acquisition campaigns with the goal of growing its base of Android and iOS players of its puzzle tile game, Word Cookies.

Leadbolt’s targeting algorithms, predictive modelling, and network of premium app publishers were used to identify ideal user characteristics and top performing mobile environments. Meanwhile, the mobile advertising platform’s Playable Ad format gave users the chance to experience a 30-second mini-game of Word Cookies within the ad before deciding whether to download it or not.

Using Leadbolt’s Playable Ads, BitMango managed to acquire 60,000 new users in one month and successfully achieve its day one retention objectives – with 50 per cent of those retained on day one still active on day seven.

NBC Universal (hayu) and Yodel Mobile – App Store Optimisation and Discoverability Campaign
NBCUniversal turned to Yodel for an organic app install campaign for its on-demand TV app, hayu. Yodel began by implementing its OS-specific App Store Optimisation programme. Using Yodel’s keyword optimisation loop, the company established a bank of optimised keywords for both the app stores, then tracked app and keyword rankings on a continuous basis and updated and optimised their app store descriptions. Alongside this, it implemented optimised screenshots and a video to act as a shopping window for users who visited the app store page, offering a closer look at the app to increase conversion rates.

To increase the organic discoverability of the app and hayu’s brand visibility, Yodel implemented a new web mark-up that would surface rich autosuggestions through Apple Search results in the Safari app. It analysed their top destinations in-app to determine prioritised mark-up areas, picked 10 key pages to be marked up and then measured the uplift in traffic. Having witnessed great results, we planned for the implementation of mark-up on all pages, including supporting the web developers with the implementation.

Yodel also optimised for key phrases for App Packs, which resulted in hayu ranking number 1 for ‘Reality TV app’, ‘On demand TV app’ and ‘Reality TV shows app’, which significantly increased installs and brand visibility.

The results of the campaign were shared with the judges in confidence, and demonstrated that Yodel’s App Store Optimisation and discoverability strategies were key in driving organic acquisition for the app.

Pixelberry Studios and Bidalgo – App Install Campaign
Pixelberry Studios turned to Bidalgo to increase downloads of its multi-layered role play app, Choices, targeting users who would be likely to immerse themselves in the game and complete in app purchases. Pixelberry aimed to unify all relevant media channels, data partners and creative solutions into one platform and use AI to automate and scale the entire media funnel including ad creative and ROAS (return on ad spend) optimization across Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Google UAC and Apple search ads. The goals were to increase monthly Installs, lower CPA (Cost Per Action), and increase conversion to in-app purchases.

Pixelberry Studios used Bidalgos AI platform to quickly identify which creative assets work, why, how to create more, and how they measure up in the industry. The platform automatically attributed the right creatives, optimizing multiple variables to reach the right users across these channels.

Bidalgo worked with Pixelberry to access early adoption of exciting new social channel features including Google and Facebook playable ads. The campaign delivered over 980,000 monthly installs, with a 33 per cent lower CPA, and a 121 per cent increase in conversion to in-app purchases.

Seasun Games and Taptica – Seasun Games Wins the Battle for Consumer Attention
Games firm Seasun Games is best known for the number one free app in the Korean iOS and Android App stores, Clans: Shadow of the Moon. The firm partnered with Taptica to deliver a targeted app marketing campaign that would encourage new users to download and continue playing the game at a low cost per install. The campaign goals were drive 5,000-8,000 new installs per month as efficiently as possible, and to retain 30 per cent of new users after day one.

Taptica focused on engaging new users in Korea with targeted app install campaigns optimising toward Cost Per Impression (CPI), loyal user rate, and registration rate to ensure that Seasun’s quality goals were achieved. By combining the power of programmatic with regular monitoring, the Taptica team could track engagement rates and optimise in real time.

Clans is an exciting fantasy Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), so to catch users attention, Taptica used creative from the game iself within the ads, targeting the younger players that were most likely to download and continue playing the game.

Working with Taptica, Seasun was able to drive thousands of new weekly installs, resulting in a return on investment of 170 per cent above benchmark goals. In addition, the day one retention rates of players was at 42 per cent, beating the 30 per cent target.

Join us to find out the winners of our 2018 Effective Mobile Marketing Awards at our prestigious Awards Ceremony on 15 November. Tickets are available now, so book your place and celebrate the industrys best and brightest with us.

The post 2018 Awards Preview – Most Effective App Install Campaign appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Digital agency M&C Saatchi Mobile is repositioning as M&C Saatchi Performance, a move it says reflects a shift in the demands of both clients and consumers across the globe, driven by hyperconnectivity.

The agency launched in 2006, prior to the smartphone revolution, and has been at the forefront of the rise of mobile, winning more than 20 agency and campaign awards. As M&C Saatchi Performance, it will aim to deliver performance marketing services to help brands grow in the hyperconnected age.

With figures from Ericsson predicting more than 31bn internet-connected devices by 2020, the way people work, shop, travel and engage with friends and family is all changing. The firm is hoping that through scientific analysis of data, behavioural insights and expert understanding of performance marketing, it will enable brands to continue precisely targeting audiences and delivering the right message, at the right time, on the right device.

“M&C Saatchi Performance is a logical move for the business and more accurately reflects what weve been doing for the last 12 years,” said James Hilton, global CEO of M&C Saatchi Performance. “Hyperconnectivity has impacted how brands connect with audiences in the digital landscape, moving from device-specific to device-agnostic, which has driven the need for us to adapt and evolve.

“We are excited to build on our mobile legacy and provide best-in-class performance marketing services to deliver busienss growth for our clients.”

“M&C Saatchi Mobile have played a significant part in the M&C Saatchi Group,” said Moray MacLennan, CEO of M&C Saatchi Worldwide. “Their understanding and analysis of consumer data has put them at the forefront of the industry, revolutionising the way audiences are targeted through digital advertising. M&C Saatchi Performance is perfectly positioned to drive measureable growth for brands and we are thrilled for James and the team to start the next phase of the journey.”

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M&C Saatchi names Kate Bosomworth as new CMO
Kate Bosomworth, the board lead for the Board of Sport England’s ground-breaking ‘This Girl Can’ campaign, has been revealed as the new chief marketing officer at M&C Saatchi, the first appointment to the management team by Giles Hedger, M&C Saatchi’s CEO.

With almost 20 years’ experience in the communications industry, Bosomworth has developed a reputation for driving brand and business transformation. She built on of the most successful independent sports PR agencies in the UK, Speed Communications, which she led for almost 15 years. Since leaving the firm in 2016, she has been working with a select group of clients, focusing on the commercial development of women’s sport, as well as serving on the UK Government’s Sport & Business Council.

“Kate has a formidable energy, a unique blend of experience, and all the irresistible charisma of an agency entrepreneur,” said Hedger. “I have long wanted her to be part of the team, and I know that the M&C Saatchi brand will be stronger and more famous in her expert hands.”

“M&C Saatchi is one of the biggest agencies in the world and I love the principles upon which the agency was built,” said Bosomworth. “My career has covered a wide range of sectors, not just commercial but the political sector too, which will help me to work closely with the agency’s strong history of clients but also bring a different and fresh perspective to the business, its offering and products. I am hugely excited about being part of the new chapter at the agency.”

The Telegraph strengthens its commercial team with two new hires
Joanna Lawrence and Karen Eccles have joined The Telegraph’s commercial team as part of the publishers ongoing commitment to lead change within the UK media industry. The group has successfully evolved into a multi-platform digital news brand over the past few years, and is focused on diversifying into new revenue streams, including advertising, digital subscriptions, travel, financial services and events.

Joanna Lawrence joins the company with 18 years’ experience from the UK’s top agencies where she held strategy and operational management roles, most recently as chief content officer at OMD EMEA. She has the newly-created role of managing director, strategy and client development, leading the Client Strategy & Development teams and taking responsibility for trade marketing.

Karen Eccles joins The Telegraph from DC Thompson companies, Shortlist Media & Beano Studios, where she led transformation projects in digital and video. Prior to this, she spent two and a half years as commercial director at leading video adtech company Innovid, and has over 20 years’ experience in press, digital, radio and video overall. She has been recruited to serve as digital sales and innovation director, reporting to Dora Michail, MD of Digital.

“It is a please to welcome both Karen and Joanna to The Telegraph,” said Nick Hugh, CEO of The Telegraph. “Innovation and a strong client strategy are essential to sustaining the future success of The Telegraph, and the experience and expertise Karen and Joanna bring to their roles is invaluable.”

Michael Rolph announced as CEO at mobile loyalty firm Yoyo
Mobile payment and loyalty marketing platform Yoyo has gained a new chief executive in the form of Michael Rolph, former chief product officer at the firm, as co-founder and previous CEO Alain Falys steps up to become chairman of the company’s board. Rolph has been driving product, design and engineering at Yoyo since January 2016, and previously ran sales and marketing at the firm.

As CEO, Rolph will now also be responsible for implementing the company’s strategy for the next phase of its growth, as it targets a 10x increase in transaction volume over the next 18 months. Rolph was instrumental in bringing the firm’s platform to market, and his industry experience and vision for the retailer loyalty market has helped drive Yoyo’s growth and transform the company from a burgeoning startup into one of the UK’s most successful fintech firms.

“I am honoured to take on the responsibilities of CEO,” said Rolph. “We are living in a time where mobile-first retail is beginning to take hold and I am excited to be at the helm of such a talented team at Yoyo who are working tirelessly to deliver value to our customers and users every day.”

Turner promotes Molly Battin to executive VP, global CCO and CMO
Molly Battin, former chief brand strategy officer at Turner, has become executive vice president, global chief communications and corporate marketing officer at the broadcaster, reporting directly to chairman and CEO John Martin. Battin will be responsible for brand reputation across all platforms, internal and external strategic communications, media planning and buying, media relations and publicity, and assuring that all communications reflect the firm’s core values and advance its business strategy.

Battin has held leadership roles since joining Turner in 2000, including chief media and business insights officer and general manager of Turner’s health and lifestyle-themed entertainment brand Upwave. She also served as senior vice president of brand development and digital platforms for TBS, TNT and Turner Classic Movies, and led domestic marketing for CNN as vice president of strategic marketing.

“This is an exciting time in our company’s history, and Molly’s demonstrated leadership, forward-thinking approach and results-driven reputation will be critical as we continue to shape and push the boundaries of what’s possible for Turner,” said Martin. “Molly’s experience, energy and collaborative style will be extremely beneficial as we continue to advance the reputation of our Turner brand.”

Jill Rowley joins Marketo as chief growth officer
Marketo, a leading provider of engagement marketing software and solutions, has unveiled Jill Rowley, formerly of Oracle, as its chief growth officer. Rowley, a social selling expert, keynote speaker and strategic business advisor, will serve to evangelise on behalf of the Marketing Nation and expand the company’s digital sales transformation, reporting directly to Marketo CEO Steve Lucas.

“In the engagement economy, it’s not about selling a product. It’s about earning trust and delivering value by truly understanding the needs of your buyer,” said Rowley. “This leads to more revenue, greater market share, and personal growth for each individual who is part of the customer journey. I predict that by 2020 we’ll see a wave of chief marketing officers who lap sales in the revenue journey, and I am excited to be part of Marketo’s role in accelerating this shift.”

Rowley will concurrently serve as chief growth officer at Sales for Life, the largest social selling and digital sales training organisation in the world, and previously founded her own consulting practice, #SocialSelling, to help sales and marketing organisations evolve their digital transformation. She joined Oracle through its acquisition of Eloqua, where she helped companies modernise their marketing for more than 10 years, and has also held roles at Salesforce.com, TrackMaven, HubSpot and Affinio.

Clavister brings new group chief financial officer on board
Network security solutions company Clavister has hired Håkan Mattisson as its new group chief financial officer. Mattisson boasts decades of executive and multi-national experience in the IT and telecom space, and will serve as a key member of Clavister’s executive management team.

Mattisson was most recently working at Affecto, a Nordic business intelligence group, where he effectively created and managed cross-country financial teams, deal making and IFRS 15 implementation. Previously, he was deputy chief financial officer at DGC, reporting directly to the CEO, and was critical in the firm’s M&A strategy and due diligence that bought three companies, as well as setting up legal and reporting structures.

“I am very pleased to have recruited Håkan, who has a solid financial background as well as experience from executive positions,” said John Vestberg, CEO and president of Clavister. “It is also very valuable to use that those experiences have happened in the ICT and telecom sector where that special industrial knowledge is very important to create the market share ambitions we have. I look forward to having him by my side, helping me and the team guide our company to its next level of success and growth.”

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James Hudson, Head Of Digital, Zenith Media

“10 years ago, phones were basic, their cameras were poor and the internet experience was terrible. Then, along came the iPhone, and the world changed. With no competitors in the early days, Apple stole the march on the entire landscape. We raved about pinch and zoom, and had our minds blown by apps.

“What’s happened in the decade since then will be treated as one of the most important technological revolutions in history. We’ve gone from intermittent, stationary internet use at a fixed source to having a mini computer in our pockets that gives us a constant window to the world.

It’s hard to predict what the next decade will hold, but with the speed at which new technology is being developed, I would be surprised if years we are still using mobile phones in their current guise in 10 years’ time, when there are so many options for these devices to physically tailor the world around us. What we can say is that if the past 10 years are anything to go by, the next 10 are surely going to generate technology that will continue to the change the way we live and experience the world around us. I can’t wait to spend hours queuing for the next must-have that I didn’t realise I must have.”

Stephen Upstone, CEO and co-founder, LoopMe

“For brands the iPhone meant the first serious shake-up in marketing. While desktop replicated TV in many ways, mobile was an utterly different medium and one thats still posing challenges ten years on.

“Apple faces a challenge for the next 10 years. It has been the market leaders for over a decade and disruption can happen overnight. They must embrace new technologies such as AI and VR to keep their products at the cutting-edge of innovation.”

Kathy Menis, senior vice president, marketing, Signal

“On its release, the iPhone instantly became a symbol of excellence in user experience. Its introduction also forced UK marketers and high street heavyweights to completely rethink the way they connect with customers.

“The smartphone explosion catalysed by the iPhone’s launch forever impacted how consumers interact with each other and their favourite brands. Today’s brand experiences aren’t defined by device, channel or campaign, but by who the customer is, their preferences and past behaviour. That means that today’s marketers need to adapt almost instantaneously to new technology launches, delivering a consistent customer experience across all platforms.”

James Shepherd, EMEA commercial director, M&C Saatchi Mobile

“Today, in a world full of Twitters, Ubers and Deliveroos, we are just one click away from all the information and convenience we want. iPhone started this all 10 years ago, triggering a step change in how we work, play and entertain ourselves and engage with brands and services.

“It’s impossible to predict what the next ten years will bring, but it’s a safe bet that AI-powered digital assistants will play a significant role. Siri started the trend on smartphones, and race is now on to make the definitive AI voice assistant – something that largely depends on technologys ability to make the human connection deeper. We need technology to understand us contextually, emotionally and mimic the ways we develop relationships with people, rather than just extrapolating the linear relationship that weve built up with technology to date.”

Dale Lovell, UK MD and chief digital officer, Adyoulike

“It is hard to understate the impact the iPhone has had on advertising as a whole. Its effect on advertising to consumers is as big, if not bigger, than the introduction of the trusty billboard.

“The level of spend growth is simply staggering. In 2008, the same year that Apple App store launched with just 500 apps, UK mobile ad spend accounted for a paltry £28.6m. By last year, mobile spend reached a new record of £3.9bn.

Yet technology and disruption never stands still. We’re already approaching a ‘post-app’ era. More and more consumers are turning to apps that provide a multitude of functions, instead of one app that serves a single purpose. This presents a number of challenges to publishers, advertisers and brands, one solution to which is the use of native advertising.”

The post 10 Years of iPhone: The Industry Reacts appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

M&C Saatchi Mobile Expands European Presence with Berlin Office
Mobile creative agency M&C Saatchi Mobile has announced plans to open a new regional office in Berlin, headed up by digital expert Christian Haase, who joins the firm as regional director for Germany to provide strategic support to existing clients and expand the company’s portfolio in the region.

The office will join M&C Saatchi Mobile’s network of global locations including San Francisco, Syndey, Singapore, New Delhi, Bangalore and its headquarters in London. With smartphone penetration in Germany rising to 74 per cent last year, the company is keen to establish a strong presence there.

“Our business has seen exceptional growth across Europe, and in particular the German market, over the last few years,” said James Hilton, global CEO of M&C Saatchi Mobile. “With the addition of the Berlin office, and Christian in the role of regional director, we are excited to be able to build on this growth by offering local strategic support to our existing clients and provide best-in-class mobile-first solutions in the German market.”

Haase joins the company from leading eCommerce company Zalando, and previously held senior positions in a number of mobile and media businesses, including MeteoGroup, Axel Springer, Yahoo and Aedgency.

Ruth Zohrer Promoted to Head of Planning at Mindshare UK
WPP-owned media agency Mindshare UK has revealed Ruth Zohrer as its new head of connections planning, focused on offering the company’s clients a fresh perspective on how they can engage with their customers. Alongside Zohrer’s new role, Joe Brewer and Steve Ray have been promoted to planning partners.

Zohrer joined Mindshare in September 2015, and previously acted as head of programmatic marketing at the firm, proving instrumental in helping the business demystify perceptions around the technology to deliver insight-led client strategies. Her promotion comes at a pivotal time for media planning, as data and technology continue to transform the industry.

“I am delighted and excited to take up this new challenge, and to use my skills in programmatic to steer our planning approach in a new direction. Through experience I’ve found that the reality of where we are as an industry today falls short of the vision we pitch.

“My aim is to close the disconnect between vision and reality to enhance the advertising experiences we offer to people, and through that create greater value for our clients.”

AppNexus Strengthens Position in Japan and Asia Pacific with Appointment
Kaylie Smith has been named as managing director for Japan and Asia Pacific by independent ad tech company AppNexus, with the intention of overseeing the firm’s strategic partnerships in Australia, Japan and the surrounding area. The company currently has offices in Singapore, Tokyo and Sydney as part of its efforts in the region.

Smith joins AppNexus from Rubicon Project, where she served as head of seller cloud and managed the firm’s publisher division, directing strategy, product and account management in both the US and JAPAC. Prior to that, she was an executive at DoubleClick, and brings with her a proven track record in building and expanding innovative advertising technology companies.

“Kaylie’s appointment represents our deepening investment in JAPAC,” said Michael Rubenstein, president of AppNexus. “Over the past year, AppNexus has established relationships with some of the region’s premier buyers and sellers of digital advertising. Kaylie’s breadth of experience and industry knowledge enhance our ability to act as a strategic partner to current and future customers across JAPAC.”

PHD Promotes Verica Djurdjevic to UK CEO
Verica Djurdjevic is set to become CEO of the UK offices of media agency PHD, having serves as managing director for the UK for almost four years. Djurdjevic joined PHD in 2009 from MEC, and has been responsible for leading and growing some of the agency’s most high-profile client accounts as well as winning instrumental new business from Volkswagen Group and Virgin Atlantic.

“PHD is an amazing agency with a strong heritage and distinct culture,” said Djurdjevic. “I follow in the footsteps of some legendary figures, and I’m both excited and privileged to be able to lead the agency into the next chapter at such a transformational time for our industry.”

“I’m a huge fan of Verica’s,” said Mike Cooper, worldwide CEO of PHD. “Very few people have her leadership qualities, energy and passion. Verica has shown tremendous talent as managing director of our UK office, and I am confident will rise to the challenge in her new role as CEO and continue to lead PHD UK onto bigger and better things.”

Unlimited Group Picks Ryan Wain to Spearhead Marketing
The Unlimited Group has found its first chief marketing officer in the form of Ryan Wain, former director of business development at TBWA London. Wain will be responsible for communicating the Group’s offering to clients and prospects, and leading organic and new business growth across a variety of sectors.

The Unlimited Group comprises a collective of specialist agencies working across data, digital, insight, PR and advertising, and employs over 900 marketing communications professionals. The Group’s agency and partner brands include TMW Unlimited, Foresight Factory Unlimited, The Real Adventure Unlimited and Nelson Bostock Unlimited.

“I’m proud to join a forward-thinking group which has created a genuine and seamless offer, where bespoke teams of discipline experts are focused on solving any business and brand challenge,” said Wain. “The Unlimited Group has acted where others have endlessly ruminated. When we shine a spotlight on the brilliance and bright minds here, it won’t be too long before we’re welcoming many more clients through our doors.”

The post Movers & Shakers: M&C Saatchi Mobile, Mindshare, AppNexus, PHD and Unlimited Group appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Acceptable Ads is controversial because it decides which ads will be allowed past its blocker – and especially because bigger companies pay to be kept on the whitelist.

In September 2015, after facing a lot of criticism from both the ad industry and its own ad blocking users, ABP owner Eyeo committed to making the Acceptable Ads process more transparent with the formation of a review board.

The AAC will be responsible for the criteria used to decide whether ads will be considered ‘acceptable’, and the whitelisting rules for not just ABP itself but also AdBlock, Adblock Browser and Crystal. It will also discuss ‘the compromise between users who want to block intrusive ads and publishers who rely on advertising revenues’, according to ABP.

There are a maximum of 11 AAC seats, with one permanently saved for an ‘ordinary user … to represent consumers’ demands of the online advertising industry’ recruited over social media – though this has not yet been filled. So far, eight members have been named.

Condé Nast’s Kenton Jacobson is on the Committee’s ‘for-profit coalition’ representing the needs of publishers, Dell’s Breanna Fowler will do the same for advertisers, Rocket Fuel’s Ari Levenfeld for ad tech, and M&C Saatchi Mobile’s Gabriel Cheng for agencies.

Jay Morgan of J. Walter Thompson, Fran Howarth of Bloor Research and Kenny Ye of UC Web, a web browser company and subsidiary of Alibaba make up the board’s ‘expert coalition’.  The final third, the ‘user advocate coalition’ currently has just a single name present – Holmes Wilson of digital rights organisation Fight for the Future – with two seats open for companies and one for the group’s elected everyman.

Future committees will be put together by the members themselves, with an open recruitment process. Interested companies can apply for consideration here.

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Emma Crowe, chief of client strategy, Somo
At MWC we expect to see a new plethora of handsets launched, perhaps even including the rumoured foldable screen from Samsung, although this launch may be held off until later in the year.

Another area of heightened interest will be around voice. We know that Amazon has Alexa, Microsoft has Cortana, Google has the Google assistant and Apple has Siri. What we expect to see is more launches within the proactive assistant area with Samsung looking to launch Bixby and Nokia also has a rumoured launch. We will also see new connected voice devices, for example Inter Edison with its voice activated motorcycle helmet.

As voice starts to disrupt and fragment customer moments, we will also see evidence of conversational UI within Chatbots plus third party providers looking at provision, enterprise messaging and payments on their platforms.

IOT will also be evident again within the connected car and connected home ecosystems, but there will also be a lot of discussion around how to get the best use of the data these systems collect.

James Shepherd, commercial director for EMEA, M&C Saatchi Mobile
Along with a host of new handset and wearable releases, we expect to see significant discussion about ad fraud, something of a hot button topic recently. The industry still thinks desktop-first when it comes to fraud, and standards and platforms need to evolve to mirror the mobile-first consumer.

If we marry this to another area we expect to feature heavily, AI, then we can begin tackling the problem innovatively and efficiently. We’re already adopting machine learning to detect patterns in data that indicate fraud. Through this approach, we have been able to counter extensive fraud on mobile that would otherwise be unidentifiable by industry standards.

We also expect to see discussions around the role of creativity. The time is ripe for brands to tap into the opportunities afforded by mobile to engage with audiences in increasingly dynamic and innovative ways. Once brands adopt this mindset, the opportunities for diverse and exciting brand experiences on mobile are limitless.

The best route to this is recognising the role mobile plays throughout the customer journey. A linear, single device path to purchase is a thing of the past, and it’s crucial that we end the obsession with last click attribution modelling on mobile. Until we do, we fail to capture the breadth of mobile engagement that happens throughout the customer journey.

Adrian Baschnonga, lead telecommunications analyst, Ernst & Young
5G has taken centre stage in Barcelona over the last couple of years, but operators have plenty to consider as they build the business case for investment. For one, the very versatility of the technology itself asks questions of the right strategic approach.

Beyond providing a step-change in consumer mobile data capability, 5G has the potential to act as a cornerstone for the Internet of Things or as an alternative to fibre broadband in rural areas. Tailoring technology trials to these different service opportunities will be vital, and closer collaboration between operators and their vendor partners is a must.

The promise of the connected society means an ever wider range of industries are now represented at Mobile World Congress. Operators recognise their role as enablers of the digital society and are moving quickly to introduce low power wide area networks, which are well suited to use cases such as safety monitoring and smart grids. While progress on the technology side is reassuring, long-term growth in IoT hinges on partnership and collaboration. Business models remain fluid, but focusing on the right role to play in the value chain has never been more important, both for operators and their peers in other industries.

Mobile World Congress has become synonymous with flagship device announcements, yet new product categories are crucial for vendors as smartphone growth slows down. All eyes will be on the latest VR and AR devices on show, as this becomes a new battleground between tech giants. While their potential to transform everything from consumer gaming to employee interactions is clear, manufacturers will need to be patient. According to recent reports, more than 10 million VR and AR devices are expected to ship this year, yet this still pales in comparison to an annual smartphone market of over 1.5 billion devices.

Paul Gubbins, consultant and columnist, Mobile Marketing Magazine
Supply-side platforms will be talking about unified yield management, and next generation ad servers that are equipped to process and optimise dynamic yield. Header bidding is still a thing, and many will also be talking to how well it works in desktop, and why it should now be deployed on both mobile web, and in-app.

Expect every SSP to be talking about the benefits of server side rather than client side implementations, and promoting their ability to support both automated and programmatic guaranteed buying, as well as how they can provide publishers with a single view of their user via device graph partnerships, and why they werent affected by MethBot.

On the DSP side, everyone will be talking about how they are either built from the ground around mobile, or how they are now mobile-first, and have the ability to support bespoke bidding logic – or the “brand-gorithm”, as coined by Gartner.

Theyll also be speaking to their ability to build audience profiles segmented around location signals, and marketing themselves as enterprise businesses that arent competing with their customers via a managed service.

Hopefully, everyone will be talking about their readiness for GDPR, and not focusing too much time on making outlandish claims about NASA-grade AI being at the core of their decisioning.

Stephen Jenkins, marketing director, Voluum
Following both P&Gs announcement at the IAB Leadership Summit and The Times investigation into brands funding extremist groups, the topic surrounding the state of the digital marketing ecosystem will be a focus for many at Mobile World Congress this year. With huge value being placed on transparency, technology that ensures brand safety and solutions to ad fraud will be particularly popular at the show.

This year, Voluum will be exhibiting and will focus on solutions for brands and media agencies’ pain points regarding programmatic campaigns, and will also be showcasing its anti-fraud solution in partnership with Pixalate and our proprietary App Intelligence Graph, which gives the buy-side a more tangible view into the app ecosystem, using trusted data from the app stores, to identify potential fraud and quickly build whitelists and blacklist supply.

Francesco Venturini, managing director for media and communications, Accenture
Expect discussions about how to prepare for 5G and the evolution of the first scalable, versatile and energy smart network for the hyper-connected world. For CSPs seeking to leverage the 5G revolution, transforming themselves from network-centric to customer-centric will not be enough. Their networks will need to cater not just to customers in the classic sense, but also to new categories – machines, vehicles, sensors, hot spots, ‘things’ – in an orchestrated ecosystem.

Virtual reality and augmented reality, and soon mixed reality, are quickly moving from niche to mainstream products, and the impact on communications providers will be huge. There will be yet another surge in demand for bandwidth, with VR requiring about five times as much as HDTV. However, there are opportunities for communications providers to participate in what could become a $150bn (£120bn) market by 2020.

The communications industry transmits and stores massive amounts of personal data and high-profile cyber-attacks have made it clear more needs to be done. At MWC, conversations will focus on how communications companies can keep pace with the ever growing frequency and sophistication of attacks.

Finally, open platforms are the key to success in the digital economy and to driving economic and social growth, but there is very little evidence that the communications industry is taking radical steps to embrace the power of platforms. They are now facing a stark choice: disrupt or be disrupted — and many are doing both at the same time.

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