Former Ericsson Exec Anna Bager Hired to Head New Unit Devoted to Growth of Mobile Advertising
NEW YORK, NY (December 9, 2010) — In a move that highlights the growing importance of mobile advertising in the marketing-media ecosystem, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today announced the launch of the Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, an independently funded and staffed unit inside the IAB, charged with driving the growth of the mobile marketing, advertising and media marketplace. The IAB also announced the appointment of Anna Bager as Vice President and General Manager of the Mobile Center, a new position in the organization.
Bager joins the IAB from Ericsson, the global telecommunications company, where she was the head of business intelligence for the Multimedia division.
“The IAB’s Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence will provide the next phase of leadership required for continued growth in the mobile advertising industry,” said Greg McCastle, Senior Vice President for Advanced Ad Solutions at AT&T and a member of the IAB’s Board of Directors. “Consumers want their information and entertainment on-the-go, and this trend is only going to continue, bringing enormous opportunity for advertisers to stay connected to their audiences.”
The IAB’s new Mobile Center will devote resources to market and consumer research, mobile advertising case studies, executive training and education, supply chain standardization, creative showcases and best practice identification in the burgeoning field of mobile media and marketing. “The Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence will serve as the industry-wide resource for innovation in mobile advertising,” said Randall Rothenberg, President & CEO of the IAB.
Sixteen IAB member companies have committed financial support to the association’s Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, marking the first time the industry trade group has directed enhanced resources to a single platform. Eight IAB member companies have provided advanced support and will serve on the Center’s Board of Directors, including AT&T Converged Services, Cars.com, Google, Microsoft, The New York Times, Univision Interactive Media, Weather Channel and Yahoo.
Another eight companies are supporting the Center as research and development sponsors, including 24/7 Real Media, CNN, Disney Interactive Media Group, Federated Media, The Huffington Post, IDG Communications, NBC Universal and Tremor Media.
Up to three more Board sponsorships are available to IAB General Member companies, Rothenberg said. The Mobile Center of Excellence will be based in the IAB’s New York headquarters, at 116 East 27 Street.
“Mobile marketing is clearly one of the fastest-growing segments of interactive advertising and we’re responding to its potential by opening an office that will help to advance technologies and best practices so advertisers can take full advantage of what mobile has to offer,” said David J. Moore, Chairman of the IAB Board and Chairman and CEO of 24/7 Real Media.
“What the mobile marketing ecosystem needs in order to grow is a dedicated force of industry experts working together to promote best practices and solve vital supply chain issues,” said Bager. “That’s exactly what the Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence will provide.”
Before heading business intelligence at Ericsson Multimedia, Bager was the head of research and a senior consultant at Ericsson’s Business Consulting unit. Prior to Ericsson, Bager was a European consulting manager at IDC’s Telecommunications and Networking Center. Bager attended Lund University in Lund, Sweden, where she studied business administration and economics.
The formation of the Mobile Center of Excellence is the latest addition to the IAB’s ongoing work to educate the marketing and media ecosystem about mobile advertising. Together, the IAB and the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) recently released “Mobile Web Advertising Measurement Guidelines” that provide a framework for governing ad impressions through mobile devices.
This report and others can be reviewed on the IAB website, iab.com.
About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 460 leading media and technology companies who 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 iab.com.
IAB Media Contact
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