Ad Industry Veteran To Spearhead New IAB Positioning, Mission. Advertiser-Oriented Background Key Element For IAB In Representing All Aspects Of Interactive Advertising.
New York, NY – January 30, 2001 – The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has named Robin Webster, former Association of National Advertiser (ANA) Executive Vice President, as it’s first Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Webster’s extensive advertiser-centric background signals the five year-old trade association’s ongoing evolution as it cements its position as the leading representative of the interactive advertising industry. Over the next several weeks, the IAB will announce several strategic industry initiatives as well as an expanded mission for the organization.
“Robin’s experience first as an advertiser and later as the leader of the interactive activities for an association a large as the ANA signals an important maturation of the IAB as it evolves from a volunteer organization to a professional association. Robin’s intimate knowledge of the advertiser’s needs and priorities, as well as a strong working relationship with leading traditional advertisers will serve online media companies well in answering their needs in the marketplace, and as a industry resource,” noted Rich LeFurgy, IAB Chairman and General Partner WaldenVC. “As the leading representative of online publishers, and a leader in the advocacy for online advertising, it was vitally important for our first CEO to be a known and respected person in the industry. Robin Webster more than fits the bill. Her position with the ANA and previous experience with such national brands as Weight Watchers International, Frito Lay and Nestle, are key capabilities as she represents our industry to both the online and offline worlds.”
Ms. Webster will be responsible for leading the IAB to the next level of growth in serving its members and the industry, including the establishment of an expanded New York City office, new working committees for a variety of member interests, a larger annual membership event and an advertiser road-show to demonstrate the power of the industry to traditional marketers. In addition, Robin will serve as the spokesperson for the group, speaking about member’s interests at industry events, and importantly, working with other groups as she had previously worked with at the ANA, including the ANA itself, the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) and the Direct Marketing Association (DMA).
Prior to joining the Internet Advertising Bureau, Ms. Webster was Chief Content Officer for eMarketWorld, responsible for the editorial direction of the content for 25 yearly digital industry conferences. Held in major cities around the world, these conferences covered industries ranging from digital advertising and marketing, to eBusiness for the health care, travel, business-to-business, sports, automotive, energy and food and beverage industries.
As Executive Vice President of the Association of National Advertisers from 1994 to 2000, Ms. Webster was an instrumental force in the relaunch of the nation’s premier marketing trade association, helping to rebuild the organization’s infrastructure, products and services. Among her accomplishments with the ANA, Ms. Webster created the organization’s award-winning Web site and built the ANA’s resource center with thousands of articles, case studies, books and best practices in advertising and marketing. The author of many articles and several books, she also led the Family Friendly Television Programming Forum.
Ms Webster has held a number of management and marketing positions with both Weight Watchers International, Nestle USA and Frito Lay Inc., with P&L responsibility for a number of key brands.
A graduate of the University of Colorado with a BA in Liberal Arts with honors, Ms. Webster also holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. Ms Webster resides in Connecticut with her husband Tom and their two children.
Founded in 1996, the IAB is the leading online advertising association with over 300 active members. Its activities include evaluating and recommending standards and practices, fielding research to document the effectiveness of the online medium and educating the advertising industry about the use of online advertising. Current membership includes companies that are actively engaged in the sales of Internet advertising, with associate membership including companies that support advertising, — interactive advertising agencies, measurement companies, research suppliers, technology suppliers, traffic companies and other organizations from related industries. A global organization, IAB member countries include; Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and is currently developing membership countries in Asia and Latin America, as well as other countries in Europe. In July of 1998, the Internet Advertising Bureau and the Internet Local Advertising & Commerce Association (ILAC) agreed to combine their organizations for the IAB’s local advertising initiatives. In May of 2000, the IAB’s Wireless Advertising Council (WAC) joined forces with the Wireless Advertising Industry Association (WAIA) to form the Wireless Advertising Association (WAA), which is an independent operational unit, with its own Board and Officers.
Contact:
Marla Nitke IAB