“AOL is dedicated to providing clients with the best digital advertising customer service, knowledge and innovation,” said Marta Martinez, Head Of Sales Strategy and Operations, AOL. “Customer service is a hallmark of AOL’s business, and fundamental to building a long-term relationship with our clients. By certifying all our sales employees and ensuring that they have a deep understanding of the interactive advertising platforms, technologies and capabilities that impact the industry, we are demonstrating our dedication to our clients and staying ahead of the curve.”

“The digital advertising space is booming,” said Michael Theodore, Vice President, Training and Development, IAB. “With competition at an all-time high for talent in the digital advertising space, to recognize those who have attained the requisite skills and intelligence needed to succeed. The IAB Digital Media Sales Certification is the professional barometer that all digital media companies should aspire to, and we are thrilled that an industry leader like AOL has been so proactive about adopting it.”

To receive the certification, digital sales professionals must complete an examination, which covers general comprehension of the interactive advertising ecosystem, selling digital media and analyzing campaign performance.

The certification knowledge areas include:

• Comprehending the digital advertising ecosystem
• Selling digital media
• Managing digital advertising campaigns
• Analyzing campaign performance

“With multi-screen advertising growing at such a continued rate and increasing in demand daily, it’s mandatory that we (as an industry) demonstrate how marketers can strategically and effectively bring HTML5 ad development into the mainstream,” said John Percival, Senior Creative Technologist, PointRoll, and member of the IAB HTML5 Working Group. “As new screens emerge, and people change the way they view and interact with content, advertisers will need a standard ad solution that’s ubiquitous in the ever-changing environment.”

No formal coursework is required to take the IAB Digital Media Sales Certification examination. Designed for salespeople with 2 to 5 years of experience in the digital industry, the exam is recommended for candidates who have a strong command of current industry issues, players, and operations, as well as a broad understanding of every major digital platform. The test costs $400 for IAB members and $500 for non-members.

The IAB worked with the fully accredited test development company Professional Testing, Inc. to create the content of the exam, alongside subject matter experts. All exams are administered through Pearson Testing Centers and are available worldwide.

Earlier this year AOL was one of only two companies selected for the IAB Award for Overall Sales Excellence, recognizing the company’s commitment to providing its clients with the industry’s best customer service.

For more information on the IAB Digital Media Sales Certification program or to register to take the exam during the next window, July 1 – 31, 2013, please visit www.iab.net/certification.

About AOL
AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) is a brand company, committed to continuously innovating, growing, and investing in brands and experiences that inform, entertain, and connect the world. The home of a world-class collection of premium brands, AOL creates original content that engages audiences on a local and global scale. We help marketers connect with these audiences through effective and engaging digital advertising solutions.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net
 

AOL Media Contact
Mandy Albers
212.652.6394
mandy.albers@teamaol.com

NEW YORK, NY (May 6, 2013) — In a cross-screen digital world, marketers and agencies demand seamless solutions across desktop, laptop and mobile devices. In response, there has been increased adoption of HTML5-formatted ads. While HTML5 ad units are intended to perform seamlessly across platforms, their development requires a distinct skill set and therefore specialized guidance. To support the industry’s implementation of HTML5 ad code, the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s (IAB) Ad Operations Council and Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence today released “HTML5 for Digital Advertising 1.0: Guidance for Ad Designers & Creative Technologists” for public comment.

“This document is the first step in helping the industry work effectively with HTML5 in the marketplace,” said Cory Hudson, Creative Director, AOL Networks, and IAB HTML5 Working Group Co-Chair. “The broader IAB HTML5 initiative is looking at developing technical solutions and formal HTML5 ad formats and guidelines to address growing needs around HTML5 ad technology. This is a very important and significant program that facilitates the first ever establishment of industry wide best practices in this area. This effort will promote optimal performance, functionality and user experience across devices which benefits designers, vendors, publishers and consumers.”

The “HTML5 for Digital Advertising 1.0” document flags challenges in adopting HTML5, as well as solutions for overcoming those hurdles. It features time and cost-savings guidance, an HTML5 wiki resource for designers and developers, and also addresses:

• HTML5 display ads (non-rich media)
• File and ad unit size, code and asset compression
• In-banner video advertising and animation
• Efficient ad creative packaging
• Ad server compatibility communication recommendations

“With multi-screen advertising growing at such a continued rate and increasing in demand daily, it's mandatory that we (as an industry) demonstrate how marketers can strategically and effectively bring HTML5 ad development into the mainstream,” said John Percival, Senior Creative Technologist, PointRoll, and member of the IAB HTML5 Working Group. “As new screens emerge, and people change the way they view and interact with content, advertisers will need a standard ad solution that's ubiquitous in the ever-changing environment.”

“Flash-formatted ads are packaged for delivery to Flash players, and the end-to-end integration is seamless in this proprietary environment. In comparison, when deploying HTML5 ads, some manual packaging is necessary to guarantee superior and complete delivery, as well as a uniform ad experience,” said Steve Sullivan, Vice President, Ad Technology, IAB. “The shift from visual design to code-based design will increase companies’ operational overhead, which could potentially be magnified if publishers and ad developers lack a common framework for HTML5 ad optimization.”

“HTML5’s ability for seamless transition across a multitude of digital screens is a tremendous boon for the interactive advertising community,” said Anna Bager, Vice President and General Manager, Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, IAB. “This guidance offers marketers, creative designers, publishers and other stakeholders in the digital ad ecosystem the practical knowledge required for effective ad creation and distribution.”

To review a copy of the public comment version of “HTML5 for Digital Advertising 1.0: Guidance for Ad Designers & Creative Technologists,” please visit www.iab.net/html5.

The deadline for public comment is June 10, 2013. Once the public comment period closes, the IAB Ad Operations Council and Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence will meet to evaluate comments, make any needed changes, and release a final version. Comments are being accepted via email to Jessica Anderson, the IAB lead for this initiative, at jessica.anderson@iab.net.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net

NEW YORK, NY (April 29, 2013) — With a week of Digital Content NewFronts presentations from internet publishing and media powerhouses kicking off today, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released “45 Million Reasons and Counting to Check Out the NewFronts,” an in-depth research study focused on the growing reach and impact of digital video – revealing that original professional online video (OPOV) captures the attention of 45 million U.S. viewers per month.

“Consumers are rapidly turning to digital video for entertainment, news and information, and advertiser demand to reach this growing audience is expanding in kind,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB. “The wealth of original professional digital programming being presented at the Digital Content NewFronts is evidence of the public’s hunger for new, compelling content available online. It is a watershed moment. And, this study provides valuable insights that can help marketers take advantage of this momentum, and effectively tap into the evolution of the digital video platform as a central hub for must-watch original programming.”

The study was conducted in partnership with GfK and surveyed over 2400 people, representing the U.S. adult population in order to identify and question over 1000 avid video viewers that screen programming across various platforms. The results clearly demonstrate that original professional online video programming is hitting strong benchmarks when compared to traditional television. Receptivity to marketing messages during OPOV was directly in line with consumer ad receptiveness while watching primetime television programming on a regular TV set. Plus, those surveyed who view both primetime TV and OPOV cited viewing new, unique content and flexible screening times as preferable aspects of OPOV over primetime television viewing.

“It is very exciting to have the opportunity to benchmark viewing levels to original professionally produced online video as the ad marketplace is evolving,” said Sherrill Mane, Senior Vice President, Research, Analytics and Measurement, IAB. “It is particularly telling that this kind of programming is attracting a large following – 45 million already – while also bringing viewing experiences and ad receptivity that compare favorably with regular TV.”

The demos also speak to the appeal of original professional online programming, with younger adults 18-34 (31%) and males (24%) exhibiting markedly higher OPOV monthly viewing levels.

When it comes to which digital device consumers use to watch this type of video, laptops (used by 50% of monthly OPOV viewers) were far and away the favorite pick, followed by:

• Desktop computers (39%)
• Internet connected TVs (27%)
• Smartphones (26%)
• Tablets (23%)

No matter which device consumers choose for streaming purposes, the majority (89%) of OPOV viewing happens at home. The same goes for the viewing of user-generated content (UGC) and traditional TV programming online (88% vs. 93%).

Looking at how social media channels are leveraged during viewing, the research finds that OPOV and UGC viewers (41% vs. 56%) tend to integrate social media much more within their online video experiences in comparison to those watching TV online (35%).

To download the entire “45 Million Reasons and Counting to Check Out the NewFronts” study, go to: www.iab.net/DigitalVideo45.

Methodology
For this study, Gfk screened 2,425 people from the general U.S. population, age 18+, as monthly+ viewers of online video and “ever” users of “TV online,” “UGC” or “original professional online video” (OPOV). Full surveys were ultimately completed with 1,005 monthly+ viewers including: TV online – 705 ever users/495 monthly+ users; UGC – 913 ever users/724 monthly+ users; and OPOV – 727 ever users/441 monthly+ users. The study was conducted March 19 – 24, 2013, via a 23-minute online survey using GfK KnowledgePanel®. KnowledgePanel is the only online research panel recruited using an address-based probability sample, offering higher quality and more reliable results than volunteer, opt-in samples.

About Gfk
GfK is one of the world’s largest research companies, with more than 12,000 experts working to discover new insights into the way people live, think and shop, in over 100 markets, every day. GfK is constantly innovating and using the latest technologies and the smartest methodologies to give its clients the clearest understanding of the most important people in the world: their customers. In 2012, GfK’s sales amounted to EUR 1.51 billion. To find out more, visit www.gfk.com/us or follow GfK on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GfK_en.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net

NEW YORK, NY (April 18, 2013) — To foster brand safety and transparency in the digital advertising supply chain the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today released a draft for public comment of its updated Quality Assurance Guidelines compliance program (QAG 2.0). The most significant change from the QAG 1.0 program is the structural shift from “networks and exchanges,” to a much broader “buyers and sellers,” including large premium publishers, demand side platforms (DSPs), supply side platforms (SSPs), trading desks, agencies and marketers. This new construct more closely mirrors the diversity of the businesses in the digital advertising trading landscape. As with the earlier version, the revised guidelines will provide brand safety assurances to advertisers that their ads will not appear next to inappropriate content.

The program has grown to include programmatic buying, advertising across multiple devices, and the continued adoption of new interactive genres. The guidelines update the areas of and provide business disclosures around processes for:

• Compliance
• Mobile
• Transparency/Display
• Video
• Programmatic/Auction Mechanics

“Transactions in digital advertising are by nature complex and ever-changing, with more than a million sites carrying advertising, and hundreds of technology vendors and stakeholders,” said Patrick Dolan, Executive Vice President and COO, IAB. “Without an established framework for common ground and uniform standards, trust becomes an issue for buyers and sellers. The expansion of the Quality Assurance Guidelines is critical for building trust, and identifying companies committed to transparency, brand safety and quality.”

Other changes highlighted in the new framework include:

• A clear process for obtaining and representing certification
• An optional independent validation of a company’s certification
• Newly defined disclosure details, broken down into three phases: acquisition, evaluation, and execution

“The benefits of QAG 2.0 will resonate throughout the entire interactive industry, providing a comprehensive, evolved roadmap to raise the bar for quality, transparency, brand safety and mutual trust,” said Steve Sullivan, Vice President, Advertising Technology, IAB.

The new QAG program is the result of industry stakeholder input and the collective expertise of the IAB QAG 2.0 Task Force, which was formed in October 2012. The QAG 2.0 Task Force broadened its membership to included dozens of organizations from across the interactive ecosystem, specifically the networks and exchanges from the earlier program, as well as the new stakeholders – large publishers, demand side platforms (DSPs), supply side platforms (SSPs), trading desks, agencies and marketers.

The QAG 2.0 Task Force mission has been guided by The 614 Group, a global management consultancy founded by Rob Rasko, one of the authors of the original IAB Quality Assurance Guidelines.

“By providing clear, uniform standards and language that outline characteristics of advertising inventory and transactions across the digital advertising value chain, these industry-backed guidelines will reduce friction and foster a robust environment of trust assurance in the marketplace,” said Rob Rasko, Founder and Managing Partner, The 614 Group. “It has been a privilege to work with the passionate team on the task force and guide this process to a successful outcome.”

The updated program has attracted great interest already with more than 50 companies agreeing to participate prior to today’s release of the guidelines for public comment.

The IAB Network and Exchange Committee initially launched the QAG compliance program in 2010. Today’s release of the updated and expanded guidelines will allow relevant industry stakeholders to review the document and provide feedback and input. The deadline for public comment is May 20, 2013 and can be sent to the QAG 2.0 Task Force by emailing rob@614group.com.

For more information about the IAB’s Quality Assurance Guidelines, please visit www.iab.net/QAGinitiative.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net

Mobile Ad Revenues More than Double for the Second Year in a Row

NEW YORK, NY (April 16, 2013) — Digital advertising revenues climbed to a milestone high of $36.6 billion in 2012, according to the IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report for the full-year of 2012. That historic number marks a 15 percent rise over 2011’s full-year number, which itself had been the highest on record, at $31.7 billion. The report, released today by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and prepared by PwC U.S., additionally reveals that 2012’s fourth quarter numbers, at $10.3 billion, rose by 14.9 percent from $9 billion in the final quarter of 2011. These 2012 Q4 figures represent an uptick of 11.6 percent over Q3 2012, which came in at $9.2 billion.

Other highlights include:

• For the second year in a row, mobile achieved triple-digit growth year-over-year. The past year saw the mobile category surge 111 percent to $3.4 billion, pivoting off of 2011’s record-breaking 149 percent year-over-year rise to $1.6 billion. Mobile accounted for 9 percent of total internet ad revenue in 2012.
• Digital video, a component of display-related advertising, brought in $2.3 billion, marking a significant year-over-year increase of 29 percent in 2012, compared to $1.8 billion in 2011.
• Search revenues in 2012 totaled $16.9 billion or 46 percent of 2012 revenues, up 14.5 percent from $14.8 billion in 2011.
• Display-related advertising revenues in 2012 totaled $12 billion or 33 percent of 2012 revenues, up almost 9 percent from $11 billion in 2011.
• Retail advertisers continue to represent the largest category of internet ad spending, accounting for 20 percent in 2012, followed by financial services, which is responsible for 13 percent of the year’s revenues.

“These record-breaking numbers represent a paradigm shift when it comes to marketers recognizing the role a multiplicity of screens plays in effectively reaching today’s consumers,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB. “Mobile, in particular, soared due to its ubiquity and intrinsic ability to serve as a powerful digital dashboard that travels with you from morning commute to nighttime video viewing and beyond. The significant increase in digital video also underscores the importance of the upcoming Digital Content NewFronts and the vitality that sight, sound and motion play for both consumers and advertisers in the digital era.”

“As Smartphones get smarter, cellular networks get faster and user penetration of smart mobile devices increases, the combination of personalization and location will have tremendous appeal to marketers,” said David Silverman, Partner, PwC U.S. “We are just at the tip of the iceberg.”

“For the third consecutive year, digital media ad revenue has racked up double-digit growth, demonstrating the strength of interactive advertising and marketers’ commitment to be where consumers are,” said Sherrill Mane, Senior Vice President, Research, Analytics, and Measurement, IAB.

Here are the results from the full year in comparison with last year’s numbers:

Revenue (Ad Formats)

Revenue (Pricing Models)

IAB sponsors the IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report, which is conducted independently by the New Media Group of PwC. The results are considered the most accurate measurement of interactive advertising revenues because the data is compiled directly from information supplied by companies selling advertisements on the internet.

The survey includes data concerning online advertising revenues from Web sites, commercial online services, free email providers, and all other companies selling online advertising. The full report is issued twice yearly for full and half-year data, and top-line quarterly estimates are issued for the first and third quarters. PwC does not audit the information and provides no opinion or other form of assurance with respect to the information.

A copy of the full report is available at: www.iab.net/AdRevenueReport.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

About PwC US
PwC US helps organizations and individuals create the value they're looking for. We're a member of the PwC network of firms in 158 countries with more than 180,000 people. We're committed to delivering quality in assurance, tax and advisory services. Tell us what matters to you and find out more by visiting us at www.pwc.com/US.

Learn more about PwC by following us online: @PwC_LLP, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google +.

©2013 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership. All rights reserved. PwC refers to the US member firm, and may sometimes refer to the PwC network. Each member firm is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.

IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net

PwC Media Contact
Steven Silber
646.471.4059
steven.g.silber@us.pwc.com

NEW YORK, NY (April 11, 2013) — With tax day fast approaching, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today released “Mobile and Money,” a new study conducted in partnership with InMobi and Viggle, that looks at how mobile users are leveraging smartphones and tablets to manage their personal finances. Findings show that a great number of consumers are tapping into their mobile devices for money management, although some are worried about security issues – real or imagined – that financial services marketers need to better address.

According to the report, nearly two out of three respondents (58%) regularly use their bank’s mobile app, while another 25 percent are aware of the app, but have yet to use it. In addition, 50 percent use their bank’s mobile-optimized web site, while another 26 percent are aware of the feature, but have yet to test it.

These numbers indicate that the financial marketers’ messages about mobile offerings are resonating with consumers. However, at the same time more than half (52%) of the survey’s respondents said that in order to shift more personal finance activities to their mobile device, they need a concrete “guarantee” that financial transactions are safe, even if they lose their phone. In addition, 46 percent stated that they needed to see better security on their mobile network in order to inspire them to turn to their connected device for more financial activities.

“Clearly, mobile users are leaning into their devices for personal finance assistance wherever and whenever they happen to have a need,” said Anna Bager, Vice President and General Manager, Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, IAB. “Most financial apps already contain rock-solid security, but consumers seem not to be as plugged into that fact, and that knowledge gap can make all the difference in driving further usage and adoption. This is an area that financial services marketers should pay attention to in their future campaigns.”

The report found that respondents are starting to treat their smartphones as virtual wallets, using the device for a variety of payment activities, such as:

• Paying mobile phone bills (42%) or other bills due for payment (46%)
• Paying a business for real-world goods/services, such as coffee via a pre-paid card on the phone (34%)
• Buying tickets for a movie or concert or travel, etc. (37%)
• Paying for digital products such as music, movies or a smartphone app (45%)
• Paying friends or family (19%)

“Consumers show a definite willingness and interest in using their smartphones as a mechanism for making payments,” said Shrikant Latkar, Vice President, Global Marketing, InMobi. “The impediment is with retailers and individuals not currently being set up to accept those payments. It is fascinating, however, to see how far this has come so quickly. In some cases, like morning coffee, paying with your mobile phone has almost become routine.”

When it comes to the name-brand apps that respondents who use mobile financial services have downloaded to help them make payments or keep track of their finances, Paypal was far and away in the lead (37%), trailed in the distance by Mint (11%), Turbotax (9%), Square (8%) and Google Wallet (7%).

Money-related apps such as regular calculators and tip calculators were also popular (72% vs. 35%), but those apps meant for scanning receipts and reading financial news did not seem to capture much interest (16% vs.14%).

Taking April 15 into account, the survey also asked respondents if they were aware of apps available that will let them file their taxes through their mobile device. More than half (57%) claimed that they knew about them, but a negligible number (6%) said that they have used one to actually file.

“This time of year always poses a challenge to all of us needing to get our taxes, and thereby our personal finances, in order,” said Greg Consiglio, President and COO, Viggle. “We continue to see consumers looking to applications on their mobile devices for convenience and this includes tools for managing finances as well. Financial services advertisers need to consider a mobile buy in the mix, if they want to reach consumers where they are increasingly spending their time and looking for services that make their lives easier.”

“Mobile and Money” was released at the IAB Mobile Marketplace conference, held at the Crowne Plaza Times Square in New York City. To download the entire study, please visit www.iab.net/mobilefinance.

Methodology
The “Mobile and Money” survey was fielded in March 2013. To get the sample, Viggle emailed invites to a random sample of Viggle's nearly two million registered users. These users completed the survey online (on either desktop, smartphone, or tablet). One thousand, two hundred and forty-two respondents completed the questionnaire. Note that only Viggle users 18 years old or older participated in this survey. The Viggle audience is both technology- and media-savvy. Viggle currently attracts a user base centered around the 25 - 34 year-old demographic. In addition, Viggle’s audience is also more coastal and more urban than the average consumer.

About InMobi
InMobi has been recognized by MIT Technology Review as one of 50 Disruptive Companies of 2013. InMobi platforms enable the world’s leading brands, developers, and publishers to engage global consumers. InMobi builds mobile-first technology platforms that leverage advances in big-data, user behavior, and cloud-based architectures to simplify advertising. Agencies and advertisers leverage InMobi platforms to create HTML5 rich media ads and engage 578M consumers across 165 countries. Developers and premium publishers use InMobi platforms to acquire and monetize their mobile apps and their mobile websites across the globe. With offices in multiple continents, InMobi provides global reach with local service and support across the globe. InMobi is venture-backed by investors including: SoftBank, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Sherpalo Ventures.

Developers can start monetizing instantaneously by downloading our SDK - www.InMobi.com/SDK.

To learn more, please visit www.InMobi.com, follow us on Twitter @InMobi, or discover the latest mobile insights at www.InMobi.com/insights.

About Viggle
Launched in January 2012, Viggle is a free second-screen media platform that rewards its members for watching their favorite TV shows. Viggle enhances TV with interactive games like Viggle LIVE and the first ever real-time fantasy sports game, MyGuy. Viggle members get rewarded for their TV time from places like Best Buy, Papa John’s, Fandango, Hulu Plus and Groupon, among others. Viggle also allows like-minded fans of their favorite shows to connect through Viggle Chatter features. Viggle’s audio verification technology recognizes shows on TV and allows members to check into live and DVR’d TV content from more than 170 of the most popular broadcast and cable channels. For more information, visit www.viggle.com or follow us on Twitter @ViggleTV.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net

InMobi Media Contact
Mital Goel
Global Corporate Communications Manager
+44 (0) 207.492.7000
Mital.goel@InMobi.com

Viggle Media Contact
Matt Caldecutt / Ed Tagliaferri
DKC Public Relations, Marketing & Government Affairs
212.685.4300
matthew_caldecutt@dkcnews.com / edmund_tagliaferri@dkcnews.com

NEW YORK, NY (April 11, 2013) — In the rapidly evolving mobile marketplace, there is heightened demand for standards and guidelines that unify the advertising industry and expand on current industry accepted ad units. Today, in direct response to this mobile ecosystem need, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) issued finalized “Mobile Phone Creative Guidelines” at the IAB Mobile Marketplace conference in New York City.

In order to maintain consistency, the “Mobile Phone Creative Guidelines” supplement the MMA’s widely adopted “Universal Mobile Ad Package” (UMAP v 2.0), which makes buying and selling mobile ads easier and more effective. Additionally, the new guidelines provide directives that are necessary to empower creative shops and publishers to employ mobile for more dynamic, rich consumer experiences. The guidelines also align with the IAB “Display Advertising Guidelines.”

“The new ‘Mobile Phone Creative Guidelines’ provide creatives with easily accessible, adoptable and understandable guidance that they need to help brands and agencies realize the promise of mobile advertising,” said Anna Bager, Vice President and General Manager, Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, IAB. “These new guidelines provide a framework for the consistent development of mobile ads that produce strong results.”

As a vital joint industry effort between the IAB and MMA to address smart and feature phone devices, the guidelines are relevant to both mobile web and in-app inventory, and include ad specifications for basic and rich media units.

Balancing the requirements of marketers and media companies, and the need to ensure a positive consumer experience with ads, the guidelines address varying factors such as different data connections (WIFI, 3G, 4G, etc.), carrier plans, Z-Index range and even the impact of the reduced processing power inherent in mobile devices for file load size and web display.

Critical elements in the “Mobile Phone Creative Guidelines” include:

• Creative unit name
• Maximum expanded dimensions
• Maximum initial file load size
• Submission lead-time
• Implementation notes and best practice
• Supported creative types

“To fully harness the power of mobile, it is imperative to make mobile easier to adopt and integrate within the broader marketing mix,” said Michael Becker, Managing Director, MMA. “Under the new guidelines, we aim to evolve UMAP by providing creatives with the kind of clarity and uniformity that is necessary to develop dynamic consumer engagement via mobile. Although the breakneck pace of mobile evolution continues, these guidelines are a foundation for creative and media companies to build on, even as devices and software continue to transform.”

To read the “Mobile Phone Creative Guidelines,” please visit: http://www.iab.net/mobileguidelines or http://www.mmaglobal.com/mobile-creative-guidelines.

About the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)
The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is the premier global non-profit trade association established to lead the growth of mobile marketing and its associated technologies. The MMA is an action-oriented organization designed to clear obstacles to market development, establish mobile media guidelines and best practices for sustainable growth, and evangelize the use of the mobile channel. The more than 700 member companies, representing nearly fifty countries around the globe, include all members of the mobile media ecosystem. The Mobile Marketing Association’s global headquarters are located in the United States and it has regional chapters including North America (NA), Europe (EUR), Latin American (LATAM) and Asia Pacific (APAC) branches. For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com. For information relating to the MMA’s Mobile Marketing Forum series, please visit www.mobilemarketingforum.com.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net

MMA Media Contact
Rebecca Laming
917.558.1828
rebecca.laming@mmaglobal.com

Reference Implementation Will Enable Quick Adoption, While SafeFrame 1.0 FAQ Answers Questions Raised During Public Comment Period

NEW YORK, NY (March 19, 2013) — The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today unveiled SafeFrame 1.0, a specification that offers mechanisms to support the measurement of digital ad impression viewability. This is a foundational element of Making Measurement Make Sense (3MS), an industry-wide initiative of the ANA, 4A’s and IAB, currently managed by the Media Rating Council (MRC), to standardize digital media metrics and define advertising “currency” that will strengthen the evaluation of digital media and promote cross-platform comparison for brand marketing. SafeFrame replaces traditional iFrames, adding key advantages, including the prevention of external access to sensitive publisher and consumer data while enabling advanced rich media capabilities.

“Buyers are clamoring for viewable impressions which are difficult for most to measure accurately when ads are served in frames. SafeFrame 1.0 is a vital next step in moving the industry ahead on that front,” said Steve Sullivan, Vice President, Ad Technology, IAB. “We look forward to rapid and robust adoption of SafeFrame, so we can continue on the 3MS path toward viewable ad impressions for online advertising transactions.”

“The release of SafeFrame 1.0 will allow us to actually see if an ad is viewable, in most cases. It will significantly contribute to the momentum of 3MS, propelling our current aggressive testing of viewable impressions, to keep us on the program’s original timeline,” said Sherrill Mane, Senior Vice President, Research, Analytics and Measurement, IAB. “This technical specification helps to resolve a major impediment in our ability to drive the interactive advertising industry towards a digital measurement paradigm that addresses needs of marketers, agencies and publishers in a cross-platform world.”

Beyond viewability measurement, SafeFrame 1.0 offers other key benefits, including:

• Standardized Advertiser Layouts – Advertising technology providers may standardize their ad code so that it can run on any publisher network that adheres to the SafeFrame API, reducing operational costs
• Secure Data Collection – Without compromising page/user security, SafeFrame enables controlled rich media interactions and data collection, while eliminating the need for publisher-side files
• Programmatic Trading of Rich Media – For the first time, ad networks and exchanges employing SafeFrame will be able to programmatically trade expanding rich media ad units, opening up new revenue streams for publishers while extending brand reach for advertisers

In conjunction with releasing the SafeFrame 1.0 specification, IAB is releasing an open source reference implementation (actual working reference code) of the spec that will help companies adopt the new technology, reducing time to market and associated development costs.  To further support SafeFrame, IAB has published an in-depth online SafeFrame FAQ addressing many of the questions raised during the specification’s public comment period. Available on the IAB website at www.iab.net/safeframeFAQ the FAQ addresses a range of concerns, such as:

• Is a SafeFrame the same thing as an iFrame? What are the differences?
• Does SafeFrame affect page load performance?
• How does SafeFrame benefit the buy-side?
• Does SafeFrame limit the ability to collect data?
• Does SafeFrame support the “AdChoices” program developed by the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA)?
• Can a third party, such as a verification vendor, host the SafeFrame API?
• Does SafeFrame support contextual display advertising?
• Does SafeFrame work on mobile devices?

To download a complete copy of the SafeFrame 1.0 specification, go to www.iab.net/safeframe, and to gain access to the SafeFrame reference implementation, please visit www.sourceforge.net/p/safeframes.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net

NEW YORK, NY (March 12, 2013) — The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today accused the Mozilla Corporation, the technology giant whose Firefox web browser controls how a fifth of users worldwide access the internet, of undermining American small businesses and consumers’ ability to manage their own privacy, through planned changes to Firefox that would re-architect the way data flows between web sites and internet users.

“Thousands of small businesses that make up the diversity of content and services online will be forced to close their doors,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB, the trade association for the ad-supported digital media industry, in a statement released this afternoon.

“This move will not put the interest of users first. Nor does it promote transparency or ‘move the web forward’ as Mozilla claims in its announcement. It will not advance Mozilla Corporation’s objective, as stated in its bylaws, of ‘promoting choice and innovation on the internet,’ but will, instead, impede both,” Rothenberg said. He called on the for-profit Mozilla Corporation and its non-profit parent, the Mozilla Foundation, to rescind their planned changes to the Firefox browser.

A recent study by Harvard Business School researchers found that the ad-supported internet was responsible for 5.1 million U.S. jobs and contributed $530 billion to the U.S. economy in 2011 alone. Sole proprietors and very small firms were called out as a vital part of the ecosystem by the research team, with tiny entrepreneurial digital ventures across the country generating more jobs than such internet giants as Google, Microsoft and Yahoo!.

Joining a chorus of complaints from companies and industry groups around the world, the IAB, which represents 500 major U.S. internet companies and more than 1,000 small digital publishers, focused on Mozilla’s plans to block third-party cookies by default in the next version of the Firefox browser. The IAB pointed specifically to the impact the ban would have on small internet publishers, which depend on such cookie technology to sell advertising to niche audience segments.

“These small businesses can’t afford to hire large advertising sales teams,” Rothenberg said. “Advertisers can’t afford the time to make individual buys across thousands of websites. The technology that brings these two interests together is the third-party cookie.”

The IAB also said that blocking third-party cookies would disempower consumers by eliminating their ability to opt out of receiving targeted advertising. The industry’s successful self-regulatory program, created by the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), a pro-privacy organization of which the IAB is a part, and endorsed by the Obama Administration last year, depends upon third-party cookies to enable consumers’ choices.

In tandem, IAB is unveiling a comprehensive online FAQ to address the numerous industry-wide concerns that are raised by Mozilla’s proposed actions:

• How does Mozilla’s intended update to Firefox restrict freedom of choice?
• How would the widespread blocking of third-party cookies unfairly advantage big businesses?
• Why does blocking third-party cookies threaten consumer privacy?
• How does blocking third-party cookies by default hurt the user experience of the internet?
• How would the widespread blocking of third-party cookies devalue interactive advertising?
• What’s the difference between what Mozilla is proposing and what’s known as Do Not Track?
• How will blocking third-party cookies affect the viewable impression?

The FAQ is available on the IAB website at www.iab.net/mozilla, and Rothenberg’s entire statement of opposition to Mozilla’s plan is available at www.iab.net/mozilla_rothenberg.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net

NEW YORK, NY (March 6, 2013) – A vital complement to the recently released “Mobile Web Ad Measurement Guidelines”, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), in conjunction with the Media Rating Council (MRC), today issued "Mobile Application Advertising Measurement Guidelines" for public comment. These guidelines address in-app advertising, a burgeoning and critical platform of the mobile media landscape.

To address concerns for measurement and consumer transparency across applications, the guidelines provide assistance in determining the quality of ad analytics and measurement, as well as the completeness of disclosures. The “Mobile Application Advertising Guidelines” also require client-side counting for mobile application ad impressions, which will ensure reliability, consistency and, ultimately, reduce discrepancies across measurement models.

The guidelines are principally applicable to organizations that develop mobile applications and use the platform as a marketing vehicle to connect with consumers. Additionally, the practices can be applied to third-party measurement organizations in the mobile industry.

“With mobile becoming a key part of brand marketers’ ad buying strategies, it is critical that we establish clearly defined principles for measuring both mobile web and in-app ads,” said Anna Bager, Vice President and General Manager, Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, IAB. “These guidelines will help drive mobile to scale and allow for in-app advertising to evolve and mature.”

“The industry is clamoring for direction and uniformity when it comes to mobile measurement and disclosures, particularly with in-app advertisements," said Michael Becker, Managing Director, MMA North America. "We can arm the industry with practices on how to properly measure in-app advertisements via mobile to limit discrepancies across mobile campaigns and ensure that impression counts are dependable. By demystifying any confusion or friction when it comes to measurement, we will enable marketers to trust their investment in mobile advertising and ensure that mobile evolves as a valued component of the marketing mix.”

The guidelines also address the importance of “viewable impressions,” as established by the Making Measurement Make Sense (3MS) initiative. While the “Mobile Application Advertising Measurement Guidelines” does not require measuring viewable impressions as of yet, it affirms that mobile media needs to follow suit and stay aligned with digital advertising practices.

Other relevant topics covered in the guidelines, include:

• Application coverage and basis for projection
• Application testing and release process
• Enhancing ad impression tracking accuracy
• User-initiated ad actions or information gathering
• General reporting parameters
• Disclosure guidance
• Auditing recommendations

“Advertising within mobile applications is poised for a period of enormous growth,” said George W. Ivie, Executive Director and CEO of the MRC. “The release of the ‘Mobile Application Advertising Measurement Guidelines’ will represent an important step in providing marketers with the confidence they need that their in-application ad investments are well placed and fully accountable.”

The “Mobile Application Advertising Guidelines” are available for review by visiting http://www.mmaglobal.com/mobile-apps-ad-guidelines or www.iab.net/inappguidelines.

Public comment on the guidelines opens today and closes on April 6, 2013. Comments are accepted via email to mobile@iab.net and comments@mmaglobal.com.

About the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

About the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)
The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is the premier global non-profit trade association representing all players in the mobile marketing value chain. With more than 700 member companies, the MMA is an action-oriented organization with global focus, regional actions and local relevance. The MMA's primary focus is to establish mobile as an indispensable part of the marketing mix. The MMA works to promote, educate, measure, guide and protect the mobile marketing industry worldwide. The MMA's global headquarters are located in the United States and it has regional chapters including North America (NA), Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Latin America (LATAM), and Asia Pacific (APAC) branches. For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com.

About the Media Rating Council (MRC)
The MRC is a non-profit Industry association established in 1964 comprised of leading television, radio, print and Internet companies, as well as advertisers, advertising agencies and trade associations whose goal is to ensure measurement services that are valid, reliable and effective. Measurement services desiring MRC Accreditation are required to disclose to their customers all methodological aspects of their service; comply with the MRC's Minimum Standards For Media Rating Research; and submit to MRC-designed audits to authenticate and illuminate their procedures. In addition, the MRC membership actively pursues research issues they consider priorities in an effort to improve the quality of research in the marketplace. Currently, approximately 80 syndicated research products are audited by the MRC. For more information, visit www.mediaratingcouncil.org.

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Laming
917.558.1828
rebecca.laming@mmaglobal.com

Laura Goldberg

347.683.1859

laura.goldberg@iab.net

David Gunzerath
212.972.0300

dgunzerath@mediaratingcouncil.org

PHOENIX, AZ (February 26, 2013) — The synergy between the consumer shopping behavior of showrooming and internet product research, as well as digital advertising and online purchasing, is becoming increasingly pronounced and interdependent – and consumer electronics brands can benefit by adjusting their marketing strategies, according to a new study released today by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). Unveiled at the sixth IAB Annual Leadership Meeting: “Big Data & Big Ideas: Friends, Enemies, or Frenemies?,” held at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, “Showrooming: Empowering Consumer Electronics Shoppers,” focuses on consumer electronics and explores the influence of mobile devices on the retail shopping process, general shopping behaviors in physical stores and online, and the broader showrooming concept.

The research, conducted by Ipsos MediaCT in partnership with IAB, complements last year’s IAB report “The Path to Consumer Electronics Purchases,” which showed that digital media is a vital influence on consumer electronics shoppers.

The new IAB study reveals the prominence and importance of mobile device usage by shoppers in the consumer electronics showrooming experience. The most significant finding in the mobile component of the research was that while 42 percent of in-store mobile device using shoppers ultimately made their purchase online, a full 30 percent made their purchase in the store.

Interestingly, those who used their mobile phones while shopping were also more likely to make an unplanned purchase (32% in-store vs. 22% online).

Other mobile-related findings:

• 42 percent of those who used a mobile device while in-store spent over $1000
• Among mobile device owners who didn’t use their device in-store, only 21 percent spent over $1000
• 65 percent of shoppers who use their mobile device in-store said it made them more likely to buy the product

“Given these findings, more than ever mobile is the connective tissue in showrooming that is driving a more integrated shopping experience in the consumer electronics space,” said Anna Bager, Vice President and General Manager, Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, IAB. “It has become an impactful ecosystem unto itself, with huge strategic implications for brands – while at the same time empowering consumers with more real-time information and choices in their online and offline shopping.”

Digital advertising was also a notable factor in the showrooming experience for consumers, according to the study. Over a third of shoppers (35%) recalled seeing ads for consumer electronics they were shopping for, and among those shoppers, over 7 in 10 said that they had viewed digital ads. Furthermore, digital ads heavily influenced consumer behavior in shopping for electronics. Half of those surveyed said that digital ads made them visit an online store, while 28 percent of respondents said digital ads drove them to shop at a bricks-and-mortar retail location.

Other key research results:

• Among in-store shoppers, over a quarter (27%) intended to showroom by trying out the products in the store and then buy online
• More than 3 in 4 consumers did some form of online research, on a personal computer or mobile device, prior to going to a store; mainly checking prices, reading reviews and looking up product features
• The top three drivers for purchasing in-store are, in order, convenience, trying/seeing the product, and price
• In comparison, the top ranked motivators for purchasing online are price, convenience, and selection/availability

“It’s clear from the study’s results that showrooming is a multifaceted and increasingly sophisticated consumer behavior,” said Sherrill Mane, Senior Vice President, Research, Analytics and Measurement, IAB. “The implication for consumer electronics retailers is enormous – they will thrive more quickly when they execute a marketing strategy whose nexus is the synthesis of online, mobile and offline shopping experiences.”

To download the entire “Showrooming: Empowering Consumer Electronics Shoppers,” please visit www.iab.net/showrooming.

Methodology
The “Showrooming Consumer Electronics Study” was conducted by Ipsos MediaCT in February via an online survey of 482 consumer electronics shoppers (past six months) from its HearWatchSay (HWS) community, whose members are internet savvy/internet enthusiasts. Quantitative results were supplemented with qualitative input about shopping and showrooming behaviors.

About Ipsos MediaCT
Ipsos MediaCT is the market research specialization within Ipsos built to reach, engage and more effectively understand today’s digitally-driven consumer in the fast moving media, content and technology space. We work with leading companies in technology, entertainment and all sectors of media – TV, online, print, mobile, outdoor, radio – helping owners and advertisers to better understand different audiences, the content they consume, the channels they use to consume it and the technology they use to discover, talk about and access this content. Ipsos MediaCT is a specialist division within Ipsos, one of the world’s largest market research agencies. Ipsos has offices in 84 countries, generating revenues of €1,363 billion ($1.897 billion U.S.) in 2011. Alongside media, content & technology, Ipsos has specialist practices in advertising, loyalty, marketing and public opinion research.

Visit www.ipsos-na.com/media to learn more.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net

PHOENIX, AZ (February 26, 2013) — While the rise of political digital advertising was a clear, emerging theme long before polls closed and ballots were counted on Election Day in 2012, it is the power and promise of microtargeted advertising and messaging which has emerged in post-election analyses as the “it” trend to watch, according to a newly released study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).

The IAB whitepaper, “Big Data and Microtargeted Political Ads in Election 2012: The Challenge Ahead,” serves as a follow-up and bookend to IAB’s initial research and whitepaper on campaign microtargeting, released in October 2012, which explored the basic tenets of political targeting and how it may be harnessed and leveraged to amplify existing campaign tactics – such as recruiting, fundraising, get-out-the-vote and persuasion.

Unveiled at the sixth IAB Annual Leadership Meeting: “Big Data & Big Ideas: Friends, Enemies, or Frenemies?,” held at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, the new IAB study provides political industry expert analyses of microtargeting’s role in the 2012 race — including insights from Nate Silver of The New York Times’ renowned FiveThirtyEight.com blog and author of the bestselling “The Signal and the Noise” – and an in-depth discussion of the growing impact of the microtargeting online space.

In particular, Silver notes that the future of politics belongs to microtargeted campaigning and Big Data analytics-led campaigns, saying, “I would hope that the next campaigns, in 2016, would develop their analytical teams from the get-go. Where it’s not just a matter of hiring pollsters, and messaging guys, it’s also a matter of finding people who can extract — to use the book, here – extract the signal from the noise.”

“The most obvious, yet most underrated, finding in this timely and telling study is that political microtargeting in digital advertising truly matters — and, most importantly, can help make the difference between a winning race and a losing one in close elections,” said Patrick Dolan, Executive Vice President and COO, IAB. “In today’s polemical and closely divided electoral ecosystem, moving several thousand votes in an election can determine who wins a close race. That means microtargeting is here to stay.”

Key findings from the IAB whitepaper include:

• Microtargeting became a key aspect of online political advertising in 2012
• Microtargeted political ad buys grew as a share of online ads and as the technology used becomes more commonly deployed
• Microtargeting was instrumental to the success of some campaigns in Election 2012, and was a key part of wins in close swing states in the Presidential race
• Microtargeted political ads played crucial roles by providing scalable, custom messaging during the entire campaign cycle – as well as aiding recruitment, fundraising and get-out-the-vote
• Microtargeted ads online were increasingly part of a holistic, comprehensive campaign outreach strategy, where online spend was conjoined with tailored cable and broadcast buys in an aligned effort

The report also looked ahead at the future role that microtargeting will play in coming election cycles in terms of both challenges and opportunities:

• “Tweaking” targeted ads by monitoring voter reaction in a refined political engagement process is an opportunity in future campaigns
• Retail politicking – such as “door-to-door” campaigning – will be executed more and more in tandem with microtargeted messages and tactics
• Privacy issues will continue to be considered and addressed by microtargeting firms in campaigns at all levels
• Microtargeted ads will be part of a more data analytics-driven culture in future campaigns, while subjective decision-making on ad spend will decrease
• Mobile apps and their use in microtargeting in campaigns will be a challenge

“The research conducted and findings identified in this paper have shed new light on the opportunities presented by microtargeting, which should catch the attention of aspiring and current lawmakers alike,” said Mike Zaneis, Senior Vice President, Public Policy and General Counsel, IAB. “Moreover, they demonstrate the power that ad microtargeting can bring not only to times of campaigning, but to times of governing as well, as this efficient and effective tactic can be deployed to move the needle on issues, not just candidates.”

The IAB study was commissioned by the IAB Data Council and authored by Nathan Abse, a journalist and writer who covers politics and is currently a senior correspondent for 1105 Media.

To download the entire whitepaper, please visit www.iab.net/politicaladvertising.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net

PHOENIX, AZ (February 25, 2013) — With brand marketers always looking to get the most out of their advertising budgets, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today released “A Comprehensive Picture of Digital Video and TV Advertising: Viewing, Budget Share Shift and Effectiveness,” a Nielsen research study commissioned by the IAB investigating how moving dollars from TV ad budgets to digital media – especially digital video – affects reach and costs. Shared at the sixth IAB Annual Leadership Meeting, “Big Data & Big Ideas: Friends, Enemies, or Frenemies?,” at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, the report reveals that a 15 percent shift in media spend to digital will drive a distinct increase in advertiser reach across verticals.

The study benchmarked how real TV schedules across key advertiser verticals perform as money moved to digital. To accomplish this, the research examined 18 real TV schedules across advertiser verticals. Categories included Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), specifically Health & Beauty and Food & Beverage, as well as non-CPG verticals such as Technology, Automotive, Retail, Finance and Telecom. Findings pointed to various benefits from a 15 percent shift into digital:

• On average, CPG reach grew 3.4 percent (3.4 reach points) among persons 18 and older (P18+) when 15 percent of ad spend moved into digital
• In all other categories beyond CPG, schedules consistently averaged an incremental reach of 6.2 percent (or 6.2 reach points) at the same reallocation of 15 percent of budget to digital among P18+
• Across verticals, the 15 percent share shift results in more reach at lower costs per point, dropping from an average of $67.6K to $63.0K
• Corresponding CPMs decline from $13.82 to $12.31

Not only did shifting TV ad budget to digital result in increased reach, but that reach was more effective. The combination of digital advertising and television commercials was found to be a particularly potent mix, with duplicated reach shown to be more effective on key brand effect metrics than either platform alone. Research demonstrated that planning and running video ads online prior to TV boosts brand recall for that same ad playing on television by 33 percent. There were similar gains when it came to online display ads, with consumers 25 percent more likely to recall the brand if they had seen the display ad before seeing the ad on TV.

“This study documents that brands need both online media, especially digital video, and TV to reach consumers effectively,” said Sherrill Mane, Senior Vice President, Research, Analytics and Measurement, IAB. “It’s eye-opening to discover that viewers actually have an easier time naming the brand behind a TV commercial if they have had the opportunity to be introduced to the creative first on a digital screen. Marketers and media planners clearly need to start thinking about their digital buys – whether video or display – before they forge ahead with a traditional television buy, in order to optimize reach and effectiveness.”

Looking specifically at digital video – whether in short-form or full episodes – online video ads scored higher impact than TV ads when it came to general recall, brand recall, message recall, and ad likeability. Full episodes online are particularly effective. For example, general recall is 39 percent higher for video ads during a full episode online than on TV. Brand recall, message recall, and ad likeability of ads during a full episode online are almost double those of a TV commercial.

This trend is consistent within all ad categories, with Hospitality, Finance, Retail, Restaurants, Food & Beverage, and Pharma noted as the top performing sectors for brand effectiveness in ads that appear during full episodes online.

While TV viewing is flat, total streams viewed and time spent streaming continue to grow for online video. In addition, light TV viewers are watching more online video with the lightest TV viewers streaming twice as much as heavy TV viewers (7 hours per month vs. 3 hours).

Age is also a factor, with the coveted 18-34 demographic continuing to increase their time spent with online video. They are also the largest group of streamers, with roughly 4 in 10 video streamers being 18-34. Gender plays a small role too. More women stream online video than men, but men spend more time viewing and watch more streams. The exception is long form videos, which women stream more than men.

Another key element addressed by the study is ad receptivity, with findings showing that the average digital video viewer watches 87 percent of the video ad. Mid-roll ads enjoy the highest completion rates.

“A Comprehensive Picture of Digital Video and TV Advertising: Viewing, Budget Share Shift and Effectiveness” was made possible through the sponsorship of Microsoft Advertising and Yahoo!.

To read the entire study, please visit www.iab.net/dvtvstudy.

Methodology
For this study, Nielsen conducted a comprehensive analysis of 2011-2012 census, and survey-level TV and online data deployed from the following Nielsen solutions: Nielsen Cross-Platform Homes panel, a single-source opt-in panel measuring TV and online behavior; Nielsen VideoCensus/Video Analytics census data; Nielsen TV/Internet Fusion Data; Nielsen Brand Effect surveys measuring resonance of TV and digital ads.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net

PHOENIX, AZ (February 25, 2013) — The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) announced today that twelve industry luminaries have accepted invitations to become new members of the IAB Agency Advisory Board (AAB), a consultative body formed by IAB to focus on building effective relationships between digital publishers and the agency thought leaders who are creating campaigns that are reshaping the way advertising, media and marketing communications work in the interactive era. The news was released at the sixth IAB Annual Leadership Meeting: “Big Data & Big Ideas: Friends, Enemies, or Frenemies?,” held at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix.

Since its formation in 2009, the AAB has held think-tank-like meetings four times a year in New York and Silicon Valley. With the overarching goal of encouraging more brand advertising and marketing in interactive media, these talks bring together a diverse group of distinguished digital pioneers and in-market practitioners to discuss how to make the web as creative and compelling a medium as possible. Through the group’s efforts, the AAB has contributed such tangible results for the industry as helping guide IAB work on the Rising Stars program, which introduced cutting-edge display ad formats built to inspire creativity in digital brand advertising, and on digital ad measurement standards.

The twelve digital media and marketing innovators added to the AAB roster are:

Interactive advertising world leaders and influencers who are continuing their landmark work with the group include:

“The ongoing collaboration between this rarified circle of agency thought leaders is a testament to their overwhelming desire to create richer and more productive relationships with publishers, in order to fuel the entire industry,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB.

“These new members are stellar examples of agency insiders who are driving digital to the next level for both the benefit of their clients and the ecosystem at-large,” said David Doty, Executive Vice President and CMO, IAB, and head of the AAB initiative. “We look forward to having their dynamic voices be a part of this elite group of industry advisors.”

For more information about the IAB Agency Advisory Board, please visit: http://www.iab.net/agencyadvisoryboard.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net

PHOENIX, AZ (February 25, 2013) — Empowering brand marketers to better leverage interactive video ad experiences, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today revealed the five winning Digital Video Rising Stars from its first-ever Digital Video Rising Stars competition. Built to work on a range of video players across multiple devices, the new ad units were presented at the sixth IAB Annual Leadership Meeting “Big Data & Big Ideas: Friends, Enemies, or Frenemies?,” held at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. More than three dozen companies entered a total of over 70 submissions to the contest. The five concepts ultimately selected as IAB Rising Stars are intended to propel interactive digital video ad buys at the same scale and scope as typical online display buys.

The IAB Digital Video Rising Stars are a key addition to the larger IAB Rising Stars initiative, which seeks to create new canvasses for brand advertising on digital platforms, including display and mobile ads. Once a Rising Stars unit has been selected, it will go through a testing process and, with success, be inducted into the IAB Standard Advertising Unit Portfolio, the definitive standards for the digital advertising industry.

The winning Digital Video Rising Star in-stream and linear interactive digital video ad product concepts are:

Winning submitters included CBS Interactive, Celtra, DG MediaMind, DoubleClick, Innovid, Jivox, Microsoft Advertising, Mixpo, Spongecell, Tremor Video, Yahoo! and YuMe. These winning companies will now collaborate with IAB, the Agency Working Group and digital video ad operations experts over the next 90-120 days to create detailed specifications for the units to run across screens and players.

“The dynamic fusion of sight, sound and motion plus interactivity offers marketers an unbeatable package,” said Peter Minnium, Head of Brand Initiatives, IAB. “To date, too little of digital video advertising has included an interactive component, owing to a lack of standards. With the release of these new Rising Stars units, this is changing today.”

“Digital video advertising has experienced explosive growth across the interactive advertising landscape, bringing in a little more than $1 billion in revenue in the first half of 2012 alone,” said David Doty, Executive Vice President and CMO, IAB. “These innovative digital video ad units will propel the sector’s growth. In addition, the widespread deployment of the IAB Video Suite – a comprehensive update to in-stream video advertising standards – will surely help pave the way for the rapid adoption of these formats.”

Marketers have already begun leveraging the Digital Video Rising Stars with great success. According to Katrina Cohen, Senior Brand Manager, Ritz, the well-known snack food brand, “Ritz had a 360-degree communications campaign, ‘Kick Up the Kickoff,’ which was all about amping up the fun at your game-day party with the spirit, food and fun of New Orleans. The campaign extended into multimedia celebrity partnerships, a recipe contest and social media – and the IAB Full Screen Digital Video Rising Star ad unit, which we used in partnership with Tremor Video, allowed us to reach and engage consumers with all the program elements in a compelling and visually appealing manner.”

The Digital Video Rising Stars contest was announced at the IAB Digital Video Marketplace in April 2012 when IAB put out a call for ad units that could foster digital advertising creativity and to boost larger ad spends across multiple screens.

The winners of the Digital Video Rising Stars initiative were selected by a cross-disciplinary group that included agency creative directors, media executives, publishers and ad operations specialists, who judged the ad units based on user experience, branding capabilities, functionality, integration between ad and publisher content, and ease of adoption across the digital video ecosystem. Each of the in-player units were required to be VAST and VPAID compliant, with an emphasis placed on the format’s behavior within the player, regardless of device.

Participants in the Digital Video Rising Stars judging panel included:

For additional information on the Digital Video Rising Stars, please visit www.iab.net/digitalvideorisingstars.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net

“To have three companies at this high level recognize the value of the IAB certification program speaks to the significant need that the industry has had for this type of professional benchmark,” said Michael Theodore, Vice President, Training and Development, IAB. “In creating the program, we had long heard that the growing complexities inherent in the digital advertising landscape made it necessary to establish an educational standard that aligns with the skill sets and extensive knowledge base that salespeople need to succeed. Which is precisely why we launched the program.”

To receive the certification, digital sales professionals must complete an examination, which covers general comprehension of the interactive advertising ecosystem, selling digital media and analyzing campaign performance.

Specific topics include:

• Differentiating the benefits of digital versus traditional media
• Describing digital advertising formats
• Defining key digital advertising tools and technologies
• Calculating media mathematics
• Adhering to compliance standards/policies
• Understanding differences in digital ad formats
• Prospecting for new clients
• Aligning digital advertising products with client objectives
• Comprehending internal and third-party research
• Analyzing, launching and monitoring digital advertising campaigns and data
• Reviewing opportunities to renew or upsell digital advertising campaigns

“The IAB Digital Media Sales Certification program has definitively raised the level of professionalism in the interactive field, when it comes to sales,” said Lee Sparaga, Senior Vice President, North American Sales, 24/7 Media’s Real Media Group. “It provides the kind of standard that our industry requires, in order for sales teams to truly excel in an ever-shifting and complicated landscape.”

“Just as the legal profession has the Bar Exam, the digital media profession has craved a similar educational ‘gold standard’ for interactive advertising sales professionals,” said Tracy Raiser, Senior Vice President, Sales, About.com. “With the digital arena evolving at breakneck speeds, this credential is vital to the career of an interactive ad salesperson, and is therefore critical to our company’s growth.”

“A deep understanding of interactive advertising platforms, technologies and capabilities is paramount in order to not only make a sale, but build a long-term relationship between the sell-side and buy-side,” said Brian J. Quinn, Chief Revenue Officer, Triad Retail Media. “This is why the IAB Digital Media Sales Certification stamp of approval is now an essential piece in our recruitment puzzle.”

No formal coursework is required to take the IAB Digital Media Sales Certification examination. Designed for salespeople with 2-5 years of experience in the digital industry, the exam is recommended for candidates who have a strong command of current industry issues, players, and operations, as well as a broad understanding of every major digital platform. The test costs $350 for IAB members and $450 for non-members.

The IAB worked with the fully accredited test development company Professional Testing, Inc. to create the content of the exam, alongside subject matter experts. All exams are administered through Pearson Testing Centers and are available worldwide.

For more information on the IAB Digital Media Sales Certification program or to register to take the exam during the next window, April 1 – 30, 2013, please visit www.iab.net/certification.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net

Eleven Newly Elected IAB Board Members Include Leaders from AT&T AdWorks, AudienceScience, Cablevision, ESPN, Forbes Media, Google, NewsCorp, Pandora, Slate, The Weather Company & Vibrant

PHOENIX, AZ (February 24, 2013) — The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today announced the election of Randy Kilgore, Chief Revenue Officer of Tremor Video, to Chairman of the IAB Board of Directors. Kilgore succeeds Peter Naylor, Executive Vice President, Ad Sales, NBC News Digital, who served as Chairman of the Board of in 2012. Vivek Shah, Chief Executive Officer of Ziff Davis, Inc., has been selected to serve as the board’s new Vice Chair. In addition, IAB announced the election of 11 new members, joining the returning members.

“Working in concert with IAB members over the past year has been an important reminder of just how significant the organization is to the interactive advertising industry,” said Naylor. “As Chairman of the Board, I had the privilege of being a key part of initiatives, such as Making Measurement Make Sense (3MS), that will move the entire field forward. I am sure that Randy Kilgore, bringing with him a wealth of expertise and insights, will drive the momentum even further.”

“I look forward to taking on this new role with IAB, and ensuring that we continue to meet the changing needs of our members,” said Kilgore. “In a fast-paced industry that is constantly in flux with new digital technologies, it is vital that we come together to cut through the complexity to offer brand marketers the types of multiplatform opportunities that drive real world results.”

As Chairman, Kilgore will lead the IAB in the pursuit of its five objectives in 2013 — Shift Brand Dollars to Digital, Industry Professionalization & Promotion, Protect Consumer Privacy, Make Digital Easy to Buy & Sell, and Promote Mobile, Video, Multi-Screen Advertising.

The new members of the board are:

• Greg Clayman, Executive Vice President, Digital Strategy, NewsCorp
• Curt Hecht, Chief Global Revenue Officer, The Weather Company
• Mark Howard, Senior Vice President, Digital Advertising Sales, Forbes Media
• Cella Irvine, CEO, Vibrant
• Eric Johnson, Executive Vice President, Global Multimedia Sales, ESPN
• Neal Mohan, Vice President, Display Advertising, Google
• Mike Peralta, CEO, AudienceScience
• Tad Smith, President, Local Media, Cablevision
• John Trimble, Chief Revenue Officer, Pandora
• Jacob Weisberg, Chairman, Slate
• Mike Welch, President, AT&T AdWorks

The returning board members are:

• Joe Apprendi, CEO, Collective
• Tom Arrix, Vice President, U.S. Sales, Facebook
• Ned Brody, CEO, AOL
• Paul Caine, Executive Vice President, Chief Revenue Officer and Group President, Advertising, Time, Inc.
• Jean-Paul Colaco, Senior Vice President, Advertising, Hulu
• Kevin Conroy, President of Interactive, Enterprises, Marketing and Research, Univision Communications, Inc.
• Henrique de Castro, COO, Yahoo!
• Jory Des Jardins, Co-Founder, President, Strategic Alliances, BlogHer
• Joan Gillman, Executive Vice President and CEO, Time Warner Cable
• Walker Jacobs, Executive Vice President, Turner Digital, Turner Broadcasting Inc.
• Mike Keriakos, President, Everyday Health
• Dave Madden, Senior Vice President, Global Media Sales, Electronic Arts
• David Morris, Chief Client Officer, CBS Interactive
• Paul Palmieri, President and CEO, Millennial Media
• Drew Schutte, Executive Vice President and Chief Integration Officer, Condé Nast
• Evan Sternschein, Executive Vice President, Discovery Communications
• Lisa Utzschneider, Vice President, Global Advertising Sales, Amazon.com
• Grant Whitmore, Vice President, Hearst Magazines Digital Media

“The IAB Board of Directors is a collection of some of the most innovative, forward-looking people in the digital marketing field,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB. “I look forward to working with them to continue to elevate interactive advertising to its rightful place in the marketing mix and shape the future of our industry.”

The IAB Board of Directors Executive Committee includes:

• IAB President - Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB
• Chairman - Randy Kilgore, Chief Revenue Officer, Tremor Video
• Vice Chairman - Vivek Shah, CEO, Ziff Davis, Inc.
• Bob Carrigan, CEO, IDG Communications
• Leon Levitt, Vice President, Strategy, Cox Media Group
• David Moore, Chairman and CEO, 24/7 Media
• Peter Naylor, Executive Vice President, Ad Sales, NBC News Digital
• Bill Todd, President, ValueClick Media
• Rik van der Kooi, COO, Online Services Division, Microsoft Corporation
• Denise Warren, Senior Vice President and Chief Advertising Officer, The New York Times and NYTimes.com

Ex-Officio board members include:

• Bruce Gordon, former Senior Vice President and CFO, Disney Interactive Media Group
• Rich Lefurgy, General Partner, Archer Advisors
• Joe Rosenbaum, Partner, Reed Smith LLP

The news was released at the sixth IAB Annual Leadership Meeting “Big Data & Big Ideas: Friends, Enemies, or Frenemies?,” which kicks off today at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. The event brings together leaders of the marketing-media ecosystem to discuss, debate, and define the interplay between information, insights, inspiration, and ideas—and ultimately inform the future of the interactive advertising industry.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net

PHOENIX, AZ (February 24, 2013) — Today, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today announced the winners of its 2012 Sales & Service Excellence Awards. The IAB Sales Awards honor sales excellence by organizations and individuals as determined by a survey of executives in the interactive advertising buying community, both agencies and advertisers. The IAB Service Excellence Awards recognize outstanding member contributions to IAB industry-related initiatives.

Sales Excellence Awards

The recipients of the IAB Sales Excellence Awards are determined by the IAB Sales Executive Council in partnership with Advertiser Perceptions, Inc., a highly regarded research firm specializing in agency and marketer communities. The IAB Sales Executive Council worked hand-in-hand with Advertiser Perceptions to develop, deploy and field a two-part customer feedback survey to identify the sales organizations and individuals who are viewed by the ad buying community as achieving the highest standard of excellence.

Approximately 400 agency and marketer decision-makers responded across two waves of research. The respondents represented a broad cross-section of verticals, including Automotive, CPG, Financial, Retail and Travel. Each individual respondent spent at least $1 million on online advertising over the last year.

2012 Sales Excellence Award Winners include:

• Overall Sales Excellence for Large Digital Sales Organizations: AOL
• Overall Sales Excellence for Small to Mid-Size Digital Sales Organizations: YuMe
• New Award Leadership Through Mentoring: Dave Simon, Regional Vice President, BrightRoll, Inc.
• Sales Person of the Year:
  • West Coast: Laura Faigle, NBCUniversal
  • Central: Brent Richey, AT&T AdWorks
  • East Coast: Brad Kolodny, The New York Times Company

“This year’s Sales Excellence Awards honorees exemplify the digital media organizations and executives whose distinction and dedication know no bounds,” said Sherrill Mane, Senior Vice President, Research, Analytics and Measurement, IAB. “What makes these awards unique is that they are based solely on customer feedback, assuring that the honorees truly exemplify excellence in selling, thereby helping to grow the interactive advertising space.”

Service Excellence Awards

The IAB Service Excellence Awards honor individual members who have demonstrated strong leadership and provided an exceptional contribution to one or more significant, completed IAB initiatives over the last year. They are selected from participants in 20 IAB councils and committees, and dozens of working groups.

“This year’s Service Excellence Award winners embody the enthusiasm and commitment we need to grow and develop the interactive advertising industry,” said Julie Van Ullen, Vice President, Member Services, IAB. “We are proud to honor the contributions of this highly talented group, whose ideas and actions will shape both the IAB and the digital media and marketing landscape for years to come.”

2012 Service Excellence Award Winners include:

• Sean Snider, Senior Web Software Engineer, Yahoo!, for his leadership as Co-Chair and Chief Architect of the IAB SafeFrame initiative
• Cory Hudson, Creative Director, AOL, for serving as Co-Chair and Lead in the creation of the HTML5 Best Practices
• Edwin Yu, Customer Relationship Manager, ADTECH, who led the campaign setup and overall management of the Industry Education Campaign for AdChoices
• Jason Bier, Chief Privacy Officer, ValueClick Media, for his dedication and leadership of the Do Not Track Working Group
• Robin Zucker, Social Marketing Director, Yahoo!, for her thought leadership and contributions to the Paid, Owned, Earned Media #IABPOEM initiative
• Jonah Goodhart, Co-Founder & CEO, Moat, and Karin Eanes, Technical Director, Pictela, for their hard work and dedication on the Rising Stars Ad Unit Research Study showing big lift across core interactive metrics
• Justin Fibich, (former) Account Executive, Mediaplex, for being the creative mind behind a clear and concise Ecosystem Map
• Todd Chu, Senior Vice President, Partner Development, BrightTag, and Maggie Neuwald, Vice President, Product Marketing & Partnerships, TagMan, for their leadership roles in the development of the Site Tagging Best Practices
• Sable Mi, Senior Director, Strategic Account Planning, BrightRoll, for her outstanding contributions to the Optimizing Ad Effectiveness Studies and Resource Center
• Wook Jin Chung, Product Manager: Admob/DoubleClick, Google; Adam Schuetz, Senior Director, Engineering, Opera MediaWorks; and Aron Schatz, Director, Integrations, Mocean Mobile, for their key roles in the development of MRAID 2.0 standards
• Nick Lanzafame, (former) Global Research Manager, Mojiva, for his significant contribution to and oversight of the Olympics Go Mobile: U.S. & U.K. Research
• Tim Avila, Vice President, Product Marketing, BrightRoll, and Jed Nahum, Senior Director, Global Channels & Exchange, Microsoft Advertising, for their superb leadership and direction of the Quality Assurance Guidelines 2.0 Taskforce

The awards were announced at the sixth IAB Annual Leadership Meeting “Big Data & Big Ideas: Friends, Enemies or Frenemies?,” at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, where top digital advertising executives have come together to address how content, data and creative are being blended to drive highly effective, real-time and hyper-local digital marketing.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net

PHOENIX, AZ (February 24, 2013) — Today, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) kicked off its Annual Leadership Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, gathering together 850 digital industry leaders to share insights and debate the event’s theme for 2013: “Big Data & Big Ideas: Friends, Enemies or Frenemies?” Sold out for the sixth year in a row, the prestigious conference will explore the interplay between the “science” of big data and the “art” of big ideas, and delve into how they are disrupting the advertising sector and creating new opportunities.

The conference will feature several keynote presentations from digital marketing and media heavyweights:

• Mike Abbott, General Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
• Tim Armstrong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, AOL
• Henrique De Castro, Chief Operating Officer, Yahoo!
• Scott Howe, President and Chief Executive Officer, Acxiom
• Nate Silver, Author, Statistician, and Founder, FiveThirtyEight.com
• Jim Speros, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Fidelity Investments
• Susan Wojcicki, Senior Vice President, Advertising, Google
• Michael Wolf, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Activate

“Our industry is at a crossroads, and it is imperative for the digital advertising community to come together to better understand how marrying big ideas with big data can achieve tremendous results for advertisers,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB. “Those descending upon Phoenix for this three-day event will not only learn about how content, data and creative are blending to drive highly effective, real-time and, in some cases, hyper-local digital marketing, but will play a key role in defining the best practices that will nurture future success for the interactive sector.”

Industry pioneers and influencers set to present and lead discussions at the Annual Leadership Meeting include:

• Mike Abbott, General Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
• John Battelle, Founder and Executive Chairman, Federated Media Publishing
• Cyrus Beagley, Senior Vice President and Group General Manager, Advertising Sales and Marketing, Time Inc.
• Tom Chavez, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Krux
• Greg Coleman, President, Criteo
• Chris Cunningham, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Appssavvy
• Anil Dash, Co-Founder, Activate and Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ThinkUp
• Pam Dixon, Executive Director, World Privacy Forum
• Andrew Essex, Chief Executive Officer, Droga5
• John Frelinghuysen, Senior Vice President and Head, Strategy, AOL
• Marc Groman, Executive Director and General Counsel, NAI
• Curt Hecht, Global Chief Revenue Officer, The Weather Company
• Kate Kaye, Data Reporter, Advertising Age
• David Kenny, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Weather Company
• Chris LaSala, Director, Americas, Publisher Product Sales and Commercialization, Google
• Meredith Kopit Levien, Group Publisher and Chief Revenue Officer, Forbes Media
• Peter Naylor, Executive Vice President, Ad Sales, NBC News Digital and Chairman, IAB Board of Directors
• Jonah Peretti, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, BuzzFeed
• Amit Seth, Executive Vice President, Global Media Products, Nielsen
• John M. Simpson, Consumer Advocate, Consumer Watchdog
• Cary Tilds, Chief Innovation Officer, GroupM
• Mark Zagorski, Chief Executive Officer, eXelate

For all those not able to attend this sold-out event, IAB will post videos of highlights from onstage presentations throughout the conference. Please visit www.iab.net for more information.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net

NEW YORK, NY (February 1, 2013) — As smartphones, tablets, laptops, PCs and connected televisions increasingly become go-to platforms for consumers to access their favorite video entertainment, news and sports programing, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), today revealed the schedule for the second annual Digital Content NewFronts, which will be held April 29 through May 3 in New York City. This weeklong series of presentations from digital content powerhouses promises to entice marketing and ad agency executives to view the latest opportunities available for brands to expand their consumer reach on digital platforms. IAB is managing the logistics for this highly anticipated event.

The Digital Content NewFronts six founding media partners – AOL, Digitas, Google, Hulu, Microsoft Advertising and Yahoo! – will host events that feature native digital video content, alongside 12 other leading online publishers. Top ad-supported digital video publishers were invited to present at the event based on a survey conducted by the IAB among the top 200 ad agency media buyers.

Presenting publishers range from top digital native players represented by the founding partners, as well as some of the greatest networks in television history, several of the world’s best-known print publishers, as well as a select group of leading digital start-ups. In addition to AOL, Digitas, Google, Hulu, Microsoft Advertising and Yahoo!, those on the slate to showcase original programming include Alloy Digital, Blip, Buzzmedia, CBS Interactive, Condé Nast Entertainment, Crackle at Sony Pictures Television, Digital Broadcasting Group, Disney Interactive, VEVO, Wall Street Journal, The Weather Company and Zynga. Each partner will host and manage their own independent, invitation-only event.

To learn more about the event, please visit http://www.iab.net/digitalcontentnewfronts.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.

IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
laura.goldberg@iab.net