COMPANIES
Hill+Knowlton Strategies Acquires Group SJR
What is it? Hill+Knowlton Strategies, an international communications consultancy, purchases Group SJR, a digital consultancy founded in 2004.
WIIFM? Expanded capabilities for H+K Digital users, plus a “Layered Narrative” digital storytelling platform and “Flight School” online crisis simulator.
Who’s talking? “Welcoming Group SJR to the H+K family, as specialists in building audiences through great content, bolsters and complements our existing digital storytelling expertise and provides vast opportunity for both firms and our clients,” says Jack Martin, global chairman and CEO of Hill+Knowlton Strategies.
********************
Twitter Shakes Hands with Viacom
What is it? Twitter announces a partnership with Viacom, as part of the former’s Amplify program geared towards creating social video advertising campaigns around programs on MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and others.
WIIFM? Set to kick off during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, the companies expect it to allow brands to reach their target audiences directly via social media.
********************
Booz Digital Allies With Leagas Delaney
What is it? Booz Digital, Booz & Company’s digital solutions team, partners with Leagas Delaney, an international branding and advertising agency.
WIIFM? The companies believe that Leagas Delaney’s brand expertise aligned with Booz Digital’s tech know-how will produce a more holistic approach to digital marketing.
Who’s talking? “By collaborating with Leagas Delaney, we’re bringing brand and communications expertise to our fully integrated mix of solutions,” says Jeff Schumacher, managing director at Booz Digital. “This alliance strengthens our ability to provide everything our clients need in one place,” he adds.
PRODUCTS
Mohawk Explores New Dimensions
What is it? Mohawk Paper announces the launch of Mohawk Live app.
WIIFM? The Aurasma-powered app is designed to create interactive experiences with print, such as transforming a one-dimensional image to a multidimensional experience consisting of 3-D images, photos, video, and other interactive content.
Who’s talking? “Mohawk Live is a natural progression for our business because it provides a unique, multimedia experience that drives consumer interest in materials printed on Mohawk paper, while also generating measurable results for our customers,” says VP of Marketing Bart Robinson.
********************
VisualDNA Reveals Web Visitor DNA
What is it? VisualDNA, an audience insights company, releases WHYanalytics, a free web analytics product that delivers real-time data on emotional characteristics of website’s visitors.
WIIFM? The platform aims to evaluate site traffic, match it to VisualDNA’s database of users, and build profiles of the visitors and what they are motivated by.
Who’s talking? “WHYanalytics is a free tool that gives any website owner, access to real-time understanding of who is visiting their site throughout the day – and what makes them tick,” says founder and CEO Alex Willcock.
********************
Badgeville Offers Tag Management
What is it? Badgeville, a gamification platform, announces an integration offering with tag management solutions.
WIIFM? The new feature presents step-by-step guides for connecting Badgeville to other applications and also allow marketers to modify their gamification-powered websites on the go.
Who’s talking? “With the powerful BrightTag integration, my team can manage changes to our Badgeville-enabled pages without relying on IT resources,” says Brent Carter, VP of customer retention at Restaurant.com.
EXECUTIVE MOVES
Who is it: Kevin Mabley rejoins Epsilon as SVP, strategic consulting.
What’s his role: Mabley will oversee Epsilon’s Digital Consulting Group and Analytics team.
Where was he prior: He msot recently served as SVP of client services at Recyclebank. Prior to that, he spent six years at Epsilon as head of analytic services and digital strategy teams.
Why was he appointed: “An industry expert like Kevin will enable [global brands] to truly recognize their customers and engage with them in a meaningful way across a variety of marketing channels,” says President Andrew Frawley.
********************
Who is it: Michael Wann, named Chief Revenue Officer of SpinMedia, a collective of pop culture and music brands.
What’s his role: He will monitor Corporate Development, Ad Operations, Ad Technology, Yield Management, and Integrated Marketing Solutions.
Where was he prior: Previously, Wann held the position of EVP of business development at Demand Media. He has also served in business development roles at Amazon.com and MSNBC.com.
Why was he appointed: “Mike shares our passion for content, data, and technology – so I know he will make a huge impact across our organization and we’re lucky to have him as part of the team,” says CEO Steve Hansen.
********************
Who is it: Media6Degrees names Rich Goodwin as the director of sales for the west region and Mary O’Reilly as the company’s first VP of human resources.
Where were they prior: O’Reilly was most recently VP of human resources at EPIX in New York, while Goodwin spent over a decade at Yahoo! and Google.
Why were they appointed: “Rich and Mary … bring terrific knowledge and experience, as well as creative thinking and distinctive points of view that will be invaluable as we grow our business,” says CEO Tom Philiips.
