Evolves Program Beyond Networks & Exchanges to Include All Major Stakeholders in the Digital Supply Chain

Accuen, Adap.tv, Brightroll, Cadreon, CBS Interactive, Data Broadcasting Group, DataXU, Google, GroupM, Microsoft, Mojiva, NBCUniversal Audience Platform, Pubmatic, Rocketfuel, SpotXchange, Telemetry, TubeMogul & Valueclick Join QAG 2.0 Task Force

NEW YORK - The IAB’s Network and Exchange Committee launched the Quality Assurance Guidelines (QAG) compliance program on April 4, 2011. This program provides brand safety assurances to advertisers that their ads will not appear next to inappropriate content. At its annual MIXX Conference & Expo in New York, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) announced that it is building upon the program’s success and expanding QAG beyond networks and exchanges to include marketers, agencies, DSPs, SSPs and trading desks to establish greater marketplace trust on all sides.

“A rigorous brand safety program that unites the entire interactive ecosystem is crucial to establishing a trusted environment to conduct digital transactions,” said Patrick Dolan, Executive Vice President and COO, IAB. “Companies that participate in this program will be recognized as operating at the highest industry standards, thereby providing confidence to marketers to invest more in digital advertising.”

IAB has engaged The 614 Group, a global digital management consultancy founded by Rob Rasko and Adam Brothers, to head the initiative. Rasko and Brothers have extensive experience in digital media, and Rasko was one of the original authors of the IAB Quality Assurance Guidelines.

Under the direction of the IAB Ad Technology Council and Networks & Exchanges Committee, The 614 Group will oversee and steer the QAG 2.0 Task Force, currently comprised of representatives from Accuen, Adap.tv. Brightroll, Cadreon, CBS Interactive, Data Broadcasting Group, DataXU, Google, GroupM, Microsoft, Mojiva, NBCUniversal Audience Platform, Pubmatic, Rocketfuel, SpotXchange, Telemetry, TubeMogul and Valueclick.

“The industry needs a uniform set of policies that speak to the buy and sell-side, if we want to effectively and efficiently reach target audiences,” said John Montgomery, COO, GroupM Interaction, USA. “From online publishers to trading desks, we need a cross industry set of guidelines that isolate the issues and make implementation simpler. In turn, this type of cross-industry compliance program would lead to higher revenue distribution to compliant companies and from a GroupM perspective, we would embrace it fully.”

“All of us across the digital media and marketing ecosystem need to work together to remove barriers to growth and quality enhancement,” said Teri Gallo, Vice President, Programmatic Practice at Mediabrands Audience Platform, Cadreon. “Working with IAB to develop a structured compliance program that addresses brand safety issues is paramount to moving the industry ahead. The QAG program for networks and exchanges was a great start, but now is the time to take the program broader and deeper.”

“This is a timely and welcome opportunity to evolve the QAG initiative to drive safety and transparency to the marketplace,” said Rob Rasko, Managing Partner and Founder, The 614 Group. “One of the core goals is to make the guidelines more closely mirror the way people currently do business, which will ultimately lead to greater adoption of the program and benefits for all. We believe that the QAG 2.0 Task Force will enable the business operations and management teams of all participants in the ad pipeline to reduce overall brand safety risk and better position their organizations to attract and retain larger revenue streams.”

To learn more about the QAG 2.0 Task Force, please email qag@614group.com, and to get information about the current QAG program, go to www.iab.net/QAG.

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.

Rising Stars Ad Formats Gain Widespread Global Adoption

IAB MIXX Conference & Expo 2012

NEW YORK - Less than eight months after they were made a part of the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s Standard Ad Unit Portfolio, the Rising Stars display ad units yield significantly higher interactive consumer engagement in online campaigns, according to proprietary research from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Moat. The study’s findings were released during the annual MIXX Conference & Expo in New York.

To measure the new units’ impact and results for brand advertisers, IAB and Moat tested 4 million ad impressions, examining five of the six Rising Stars ad formats – the Portrait, Slider, Sidekick, Billboard and Filmstrip – against two earlier IAB standard banner ad units (300×250 and 728×90).

Working with agencies BBDO, BBH, Mindshare, Razorfish and SapientNitro, the online display ad campaigns were tested from brand advertisers such as AT&T, Jeep, Unilever/Axe and Westin Hotels & Resorts. Campaigns were measured on AOL, Forbes, MSN, Viacom and Yahoo!, and they were built by DoubleClick/Google, MediaMind, Pictela and PointRoll.

Two new IAB measurement metrics were implemented to compare the Rising Stars formats versus the legacy standard units: Universal Interaction Rate (UIR), the percent of users who intentionally enter the frame of the ad for at least half a second, and Universal Interaction Time (UIT), the average amount of time users spend on the ad.

Key findings include:

• Users spent approximately 50 percent more time (UIT) interacting with an ad through the Rising Stars format (5.8 seconds) versus the legacy standard IAB ad units (3.9 seconds)
• The rate by which consumers interacted with an ad (UIR) through the Rising Stars format compared with the older IAB standard ad unit more than doubled – 9.6 percent versus 3.9 percent

“It is abundantly clear from the results of this research that the Rising Stars display ad formats not only give rise to new opportunities for global brands and digital marketers, but also bring campaign results to new heights,” said Peter Minnium, Head of Brand Initiatives, IAB. “They were introduced by the IAB as part of our new Standard Ad Unit Portfolio for this very reason. And, now the Rising Stars are the cornerstone of that offering – constituting half of the total portfolio.”

The Rising Stars program includes display units, as well as the recently released, in-market Mobile Rising Stars and the soon-to-come Digital Video Rising Stars, due early 2013.

“Click-through rates are no longer a solid measure of an interactive campaign’s true worth to a brand marketer,” said Jonah Goodheart, CEO and Co-Founder, Moat. “This is why the creation and rapid adoption of the Rising Stars units is critical to the growth of the industry. As revealed in this new research, the Rising Stars formats hit on all cylinders, delivering results in areas that will be the new crucial measures of success.”

The Rising Stars Go Global

In addition to releasing research findings, the IAB today announced that Rising Stars display formats are quickly gaining significant traction with gold-label global and regional brands. These marketers have reported impressive results for ad campaigns using various Rising Stars ad formats.

To date, one or more of the Rising Stars display formats have already been adopted on five continents and in more than 35 countries – including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and, of course, the U.S.

“Lancôme represents elegance and beauty. We needed an online ad format that would live up to this brand promise and invite user engagement. The Filmstrip did just that, with its elegant interface of large, sliding panels,” said Virginie Gerin, Digital and CRM Director, Lancôme France.

“Rising Stars initial adopters in Mexico have realized their benefits in terms of creativity and innovation,” said Gabriel Richaud, Director, IAB Mexico. “We’ve already seen major brands like Grupo Modelo (Corona), Coca-Cola, Telcel and Colgate using the Filmstrip and Billboard units, with very positive feedback. We feel confident that more examples will come in the following months and IAB Mexico will play an important role in promoting the usage of the Rising Stars among agencies and advertisers.”

“Doubling the rate of time and interactivity between the consumer and a brand is a powerful asset for digital marketers around the world,” said David Doty, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, IAB, who also heads the organization’s international efforts and partnerships. “The Rising Stars ad formats have already established their ability to be a digital industry catalyst for enhancing confidence in ad display campaign results and maximizing ROI for brands. The international momentum of adoption only reinforces that they are raising the bar.”

To view the full Rising Stars research report, please visit www.iab.net/risingstars.

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 Moat

Moat is a New York-based SaaS company focused on building products for brand advertisers and premium publishers. The company was founded by Jonah Goodhart, Noah Goodhart, and Michael Walrath. The serial entrepreneurs had previously partnered together to launch Right Media, which was acquired by Yahoo! in 2007. For more information on Moat, visit www.moat.com.

 

71 Distinguished Interactive Advertising Campaigns and Single Executions in 27 Categories Set the Pace for Creativity & Innovation Across All Digital Marketing

Sherwin-Williams and McKinney Win Coveted Best in Show for “Chip It!”

NEW YORK - The Interactive Advertising Bureau’s (IAB) eighth annual MIXX Awards winners were announced at a gala in New York City that brought together digital advertising’s best and brightest innovators, pioneers and leaders to recognize cutting-edge ad creative that delivered impactful results for industry brands.

Campaign and single execution winners in 27 categories were announced after a competitive process judged by an all-star lineup of cross-industry experts and professionals, which included ad agency executives, marketers, and major media brand leaders. The MIXX Awards is the only competition that evaluates all key facets of interactive marketing – including strategy, creative development and execution, media placement and integration, effectiveness and ROI, and the sole interactive awards competition judged by an all-star panel of 31 luminaries. This year’s unique and exciting award judging process was further distinguished and amplified by the awards’ first-ever Judging Panel Chair, Nick Law, Global Chief Creative Officer, R/GA.

The most coveted MIXX Award for 2012, Best in Show, went to Sherwin-Williams and McKinney for “Chip It!,” a campaign that turned people’s passion for paint color into an opportunity for them to make a lasting and meaningful connection to the Sherwin-Williams brand while driving real business results.

“We honor all MIXX Award winners – and competitors – tonight, and in turn they have honored us and graced the entire industry with the breadth and scope of their creative genius and innovation,” said Randall Rothenberg, President & CEO, IAB. “What was displayed before us was an elegant marriage of art and technology and a sparkling brush of special creativity and talent that delivers results for brands. This year’s Best in Show winner is a great example of the power of bringing creativity and technology together, in this case to turn the entire internet into a color wheel that stretches the limits of your imagination, while delivering meaningful results for a brand that was ready to help consumers capture those colorful dreams in their own homes.”

Also distinguishing this year’s MIXX Awards was the appearance of the new category, IAB Standard Rich Media Display Ad, focused on excellence in the use of the new IAB-established Rising Stars display ad formats, which provide a more brand-friendly unit.

“The rich tapestry of creative canvasses in this year’s awards reflect the latest digital advertising innovations which push the industry and brand advertising to new levels of excellence,” said David Doty, Executive Vice President and CMO, IAB. “The winning executions in the IAB Standard Rich Media Display Ad category fully attest to the undeniable importance of the IAB Rising Stars ad formats for today’s campaigns.”

The medal winners were selected from an extremely competitive set of 111 finalists from 30 countries, making this year’s selections a particularly difficult judging decision.

“It’s easy to call all the winners tonight the ‘best and the brightest’, but more apt would be the ‘bold and the beautiful’,” said Nick Law. “They have taken the digital advertising medium to new heights in creativity – with corresponding results to show for it.”

To view the complete gallery of the 2012 MIXX Award winners, please visit www.iab.net/mixxawardsgallery.

2012 MIXX Award Winners

Best in Show

Sherwin-Williams and McKinney for “Chip It!”

Brand Awareness and Positioning – Campaign
GOLD: Google Chrome, BBH NY and Google Creative Labs for “The Web Is What You Make Of It”
SILVER: American Express OPEN and Digitas for “Big Break for Small Business”
BRONZE: Gatorade and VML for “Everything to Prove”

Business-To-Business – Campaign
GOLD: American Express OPEN, Digitas and CP+B for “Small Business Saturday”
SILVER: CenturyLink and McKinney for “Ultimate Problem Solver”
BRONZE: DuPont and OgilvyEntertainment for “The Horizons Project”

Cross-Media Integration – Campaign
GOLD: Insurance Australia Group and WHYBINTBWATEQUILA for “NRMA Car Creation”
SILVER: American Honda Motor Company and RPA for “CR-V Leap List”
BRONZE: American Express and Digitas for “Amex Sync Show”

Digital Integration – Campaign
GOLD: Nike+ and R/GA for “Nike+ FuelBand”
SILVER: American Express OPEN and Digitas and CP+B for “Small Business Saturday”
BRONZE: American Express and Digitas for “Amex Sync Show”

Direct Response and Lead Generation – Campaign
GOLD: Insurance Australia Group and WHYBINTBWATEQUILA for “NRMA Car Creation”
SILVER: Zellers and john st. for “Festive Finale”
BRONZE: American Express and Digitas for “Amex Sync Show”
BRONZE: CenturyLink and McKinney for “Ultimate Problem Solver”

Experimental and Innovative – Campaign
GOLD: American Honda Motor Company and RPA for “Pintermission”
SILVER: Giant Bicycles and Leo Burnett Melbourne for “Everyday Rider Sponsorships”
BRONZE: HBO’s Boardwalk Empire Season 2 and HBO for “Boardwalk Empire Compliments of Nucky”

Mobile Advertising – Campaign
GOLD: FedEx and OMD for “Shazam Super Bowl”
SILVER: Marriott and Beeby Clark+Meyler for “Marriott Mobile App Launch”
BRONZE: Nokia’s Lumia 800 Smartphone and Amobee for “Nokia Lumia in Amobee 3D”

Mobile Branded App – Campaign
GOLD: Ubisoft Just Dance 3 and CP+B for “Autodance”
SILVER: Johnson & Johnson and JWT New York for “BAND-AID Magic Vision”
BRONZE: BMW North America’s BMW ActiveE and kbs+ New York for “BMW EVolve App”

Multicultural – Campaign
GOLD: Easy Way Language Center and Loducca for “Pronunciation Game”
SILVER: Heineken USA and The Vidal Partnership for “Keep It Legendary”
BRONZE: Johnson & Johnson and The Vidal Partnership for “Zyrtec ‘Ama El Aire’”

Product Launch – Campaign
GOLD: Unilever’s AXE and Razorfish for “Anarchy: The Graphic Novel”
SILVER: Gatorade and OMD for “G-Fit to be Tried”
BRONZE: Chrysler Group and SapientNitro for “Fiat 500 Abarth Reveal”

Public Service/Not For Profit – Campaign
GOLD: Mars Petcare and WHYBINTBWATEQUILA for “The Pedigree Adoption Drive”
SILVER: St Vincent de Paul Society and George Patterson Y&R Sydney for “Signed Finds”
BRONZE: WWF and john st. for “National Sweater Day”

Search Marketing – Campaign
GOLD: Pfizer and RAPP for “Viagra Anti-Counterfeit”
SILVER: Volkswagen and MediaCom for “Search Strikes Back”
BRONZE: Sony Pictures Entertainment and UM for “Moneyball Google/Fandango”

Social Marketing – Campaign
GOLD: Zellers and john st. for “Festive Finale”
SILVER: 7-Eleven’s Slurpee and Leo Burnett Melbourne for “BYO Cup Day”
BRONZE: Barneys and Digital Surgeons for “Gaga’s Workshop”

Video Advertising – Campaign
GOLD: American Express and Digitas for “Amex Sync Show”
SILVER: American Express, Digitas and Momentum for “American Express Unstaged”
BRONZE: L’Oréal USA’s Dermablend and Tuxedo Agency for “Go Beyond the Cover”

Brand Destination Site – Single
GOLD: Sherwin-Williams and McKinney for “Chip It!”
SILVER: Toyota Motor Sales, USA and Saatchi & Saatchi LA for “Yaris – It’s a Car!”
BRONZE: Chevrolet and Microsoft Advertising for “Chevrolet Route 66”

Branded Content – Single
GOLD: Unilever’s AXE and Razorfish for “Anarchy: The Graphic Novel”
SILVER: Sherwin-Williams and McKinney for “Chip It!”
BRONZE: General Mills and McCann for “Nature Valley Trail View”
BRONZE: Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph and Leo Burnett Milan Italy for “The Beauty of a Second”

Custom Rich Media Display Ad – Single
GOLD: Miller Lite and Digitas for “Smack Talk Banners”
SILVER: Intel / 2nd Generation Intel Core Processors and Ansible for “The Escape iAd”
BRONZE: Telekom, Contnet AG, and Yahoo! for “Telekom Entertain. Your personal Entertain experience.”

Digital-Out-Of-Home – Single
GOLD: SKINS and VML Australia for “Quick Fit Station”
SILVER: Insurance Australia Group and WHYBINTBWATEQUILA for “NRMA Bus Shelter”
BRONZE: ASICS, Inwindow Outdoor, Vitro, OAG, and CBS Outdoor for “ASICS ING New York City Marathon Columbus Circle Subway Campaign”

Games – Single
GOLD: Toyota Motor Sales, USA’s Yaris and Saatchi & Saatchi LA for “Your Dungeon My Dragon”
SILVER: Johnson & Johnson and JWT New York for “Zyrtec Parks Unleashed”
BRONZE: Frito Lay and OMD for “Farmville”

IAB Standard Rich Media Display Ad – Single
GOLD: Lionsgate and AOL for “The Hunger Games – IAB Portrait”
SILVER: Alfa Romeo and LIQID for “Alfa Romeo Giulietta Launch – IAB Filmstrip”
BRONZE: A&E Television Networks for “The Glades – IAB Medium Rectangle”

Interactive Video – Single
GOLD: Mercedes-Benz CL-Class and AMVBBDO for “Escape the Map”
SILVER: American Express, Digitas and Momentum for “American Express Unstaged – Coldplay”
BRONZE: HBO and Definition 6 for “True Blood ‘Immortalize Yourself’ Facebook Application”

Location Based Advertising – Single
GOLD: The Home Depot, The Richards Group and Click Here for “The Home Depot – Lawn & Garden Outlook”
SILVER: Showtime and OMD for “The Franchise Fan Cave Catch”
BRONZE: adidas and iProspect for “adidas Takes Sales Back to the Streets”

Mobile Ad – Single
GOLD: Intel / 2nd Generation Intel Core Processors and Ansible for “The Escape iAd”
SILVER: Scandinavian Airlines and CP+B for “Couple up to Buckle up”
BRONZE: FedEx and OMD for “Shazam Super Bowl”

Mobile Brand Destination Site – Single
GOLD: Microsoft Corporation and iconmobile for “Windows Phone Mobile Demo Takeover”
SILVER: McDonald’s, Arc Worldwide and Leo Burnett Chicago for “You Want McDonald’s Fries With That.”
BRONZE: Toyota Motor Sales, USA and Saatchi & Saatchi LA for “The Camry Effect”

Online Commercial – Single
GOLD: Google Chrome, BBH NY and Google Creative Labs for “Dear Sophie”
SILVER: Rethink Breast Cancer and john st. for “Your Man Reminder”
BRONZE: Kraft’s Boost and Droga5 Australia for “Moreing”

Tablet Marketing – Single
GOLD: BMW North America’s BMW ActiveE and kbs+ New York for “BMW Electronauts iPad App”
SILVER: Unilever, BrightLine and Razorfish for “AXE Anarchy”
BRONZE: Lenovo and McKinney for “Boot or Bust”

Viral – Single
GOLD: American Honda Motor Company and RPA for “Matthew’s Day Off”
SILVER: john st. for “Catvertising”
BRONZE: Rethink Breast Cancer and john st. for “Your Man Reminder”

2012 MIXX Judges

Along with Nick Law, this year’s judging panel included:

• Jeff Benjamin – Chief Creative Officer, JWT North America
• Lincoln Bjorkman – Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, North America, DIGITAS
• Brad Brinegar – Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, McKinney, and Founding Chairman, IAB Agency Advisory Board
• Amy Choyne – Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Kenneth Cole Productions
• Andreas Combuechen – Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Creative Officer, Atmosphere Proximity
• Emma Cookson – Chairman, BBH New York
• Mark D’Arcy – Director, Global Creative Solutions, Facebook
• Brian DiLorenzo – Executive Vice President and Chief Production Officer, McCann New York
• Marjorie Dufek – Director, Digital Marketing, Brown-Forman Corporation
• Alberto Ferrer – Managing Partner, Marketing and Operations, The Vidal Partnership
• Quentin George – Chief Innovation Officer, IPG/Mediabrands
• Jane Grenier – Vice President, Integrated Strategy, Condé Nast Media Group
• Laurie Koehler – Consumer Campaigns Manager Americas Marketing Group, Intel
• Jean-Philippe Maheu – Chief Executive Officer, Bluefin Labs
• Andy Markowitz – Director, Global Digital Strategy, General Electric Company
• DyShaun Muhammad – Senior Marketing Manager, General Mills
• Chris Needham – Vice President, Interactive, Fidelity Investments
• Benjamin Palmer – Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The Barbarian Group
• John Piontkowski – Senior Regional Sales Director, Microsoft Advertising
• Elizabeth Pizzinato – Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
• Suzie Reider – Head, Industry Development, YouTube Global Video
• David Roman – Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Lenovo
• Alan Schulman – Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, SapientNitro New York
• Lori Senecal – Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, kbs+
• Baba Shetty – Chief Strategy Officer, Hill Holliday
• Marla Skiko – Executive Vice President and Director, Digital Innovation, SMG Multicultural
• Rick Song – Executive Vice President, National Digital Sales, Clear Channel Media + Entertainment
• Patrizio Spagnoletto – Vice President, B2B Marketing, Yahoo!
• Shane Steele – Head, Global Sales Marketing, Twitter
• Steve Wax – Partner, Ladies & Gentlemen

2012 MIXX Awards Sponsors

• Title Sponsors
  • AT&T AdWorks
  • Batanga
  • HORN
  • Martini Media
  • Microsoft Advertising
  • WildTangent
• VIP Sponsors
  • AOL
  • Glam
• Supporting Sponsors
  • 24/7 Media
  • Cognitive Match
  • Demand Media
  • Geeknet
  • Jivox
  • NBC Universal Digital Media
  • Twitter

Official Creative Production Partner

• BREAKIRON Animation & Designs

To find out more about the MIXX Conference & Expo, visit: www.iab.net/mixx.

About the MIXX Awards

Founded in 2005 to honor creativity and effectiveness in interactive advertising, the IAB’s MIXX Awards have grown into the premier honor in digital marketing. Last year’s MIXX Award winners included many of the most prominent brand marketers in the United States, including General Motors, Unilever, Diageo, Doritos, Allstate Insurance, and IBM, as well as leading agencies such as BBH New York, Durham & McKinney, Ogilvy New York, and Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. In 2011, American Express OPEN, CP+B and DIGITAS took home Best-in-Show, the gala’s top prize, for “Small Business Saturday,” a campaign that in three short weeks was able to develop and launch a brand new shopping day that consumers had never heard of, driving retail sales for small business owners at the beginning of the crucial holiday shopping season. To view the complete gallery of the 2012 MIXX category award winners and previous years’ winners, visit www.iab.net/mixxawards.

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.

 

New York, California, Washington, Massachusetts, and Illinois are the Top 5 States Where Companies Drive Digital Industry Jobs

NEW YORK - Employment in the ad-supported internet ecosystem doubled over the past four years to 5.1 million, making it one of the most dynamic sectors in the recessionary American economy, according to a study by researchers at the Harvard University Business School, commissioned by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). The ecosystem contributed $530 billion to the U.S. economy last year, close to double 2007 figures, and accounted for 3.7 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), an uptick from 2.1 percent four years ago.

These key findings are from the 2012 “Economic Value of the Advertising-Supported Internet Ecosystem,” a comprehensive update to a study by the same name released by IAB in 2009, reviewing data from 2007. John Deighton, Harold M. Brierley Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School, who helped lead the previous version, directed the current study, with Leora D. Kornfeld, Research Associate, Harvard Business School, serving as principal investigator. The research was unveiled at the annual IAB MIXX Conference in New York City to quantify the significant role the ad-supported digital sector plays in the expansion of the broader U.S. business landscape.

“The substantial economic impact of the internet — through its evolution and dynamism — has been born out by this study,” said Professor Deighton. “Once accessed only from large desktop machines that connected the office or home to the world, the internet, thanks to mobile phones and tablets, has become ubiquitous. And looking to the future, features such as constant connectivity and location sensing hold the promise of unanticipated opportunities abound for technological development and new user experiences that build on the features of constant connectivity and participation.”

The report shows New York and California as home to the headquarters of the largest number of U.S. internet firms. This result is unsurprising given the renown of Madison Avenue and Silicon Valley as digital business hubs. More light is shed upon the broad scope of the industry, revealing Washington, Massachusetts, and Illinois as the next three most digital-friendly states. In total, nine states are the sites of headquarters that account for 72 percent of attributed employment, although the jobs themselves were dispersed across other states in the union:

State						Number of Firms Headquartered in the State						Number of Employees Whose Firms are Headquartered in the State
New York						102						239,000
California						128						215,000
Washington						24						64,000
Massachusetts						29						60,000
Illinois						22						38,000
Minnesota						10						29,000
Pennsylvania						11						28,000
Arkansas						3						26,000
Colorado						8						19,000

Even more impressive perhaps is the fact that as in the prior report, every congressional district in the U.S. was home to at least a handful of companies within the internet ecosystem, and many had thousands of such companies. The services that support internet entrepreneurs have allowed businesses to be sited far from the traditional centers of industrial employment. Montana, for example, a state best known for agriculture, supports more Internet ecosystem businesses (from one-man shops to larger companies) than New York City’s 8^th congressional district, which constitutes the majority of Manhattan’s west side and southern tip, as well as parts of Brooklyn.

Sole proprietors and very small firms were cited as big winners:

• They contributed 375,000 full time equivalent jobs to the 2 million in the internet ecosystem.
• Many were selling on Amazon, eBay and Etsy. Many others were self-employed web designers, writers and programmers.
• App development alone accounted for 35,000 full-time equivalent jobs, and the number of moonlighters was an order of magnitude larger.
• Job creation was highly dispersed, with less growth in aggregate and in percentage terms in the megaplexes of Google, Microsoft and Yahoo! than in the tiny entrepreneurial ventures across every state and county, which themselves are enabled by cloud computing, merchant platform services such as Amazon, brokers such as Craigslist, advertising media like YouTube, small finance providers like Kickstarter, payment facilitators such as Square, and social networks, recommendation engines, and search engines that have helped small sellers to find customers even though they lack the resources to build broadly recognized brands.

“The rapid growth of the ad-supported internet has become a major driver in the U.S. economy,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB. “All this, despite a challenging economic climate. With encouragement from regulators and legislators in Washington, D.C. and other world capitals, there is no doubt that the interactive marketplace will bring an even greater number of jobs into the fold – not only in America, but across the globe — providing strong economic value in the years to come.”

“The extraordinary work by Professor Deighton and his team shows very clearly that the thriving internet ecosystem, sustained by digital advertising, is a powerful, economic engine for the overall U.S. economy,” said Sherrill Mane, Senior Vice President, Research, Analytics and Measurement, IAB. “Job creation and sustained economic growth along with the many socially positive outcomes enabled by this ecosystem are a testament to the interactive industry’s creativity and innovation.”

The study also looked at the employment and economic impact of the ad-supported internet by company sector. The research divided the internet ecosystem into 12 different types of companies, within which four different category layers were identified to determine the meaningful revenue and employment figures:

• Infrastructure Layer
  • Transmission and connectivity providers
  • Hardware manufacture
• Infrastructure Support Layer
  • Internet enabling services
  • Software manufacture
• Consumer Support Services Layer
  • Consumer support services
  • Marketing support
  • Navigation
  • B2B internet commerce
  • Enterprise staffs
• Consumer Services Layer
  • Content sites
  • E-commerce
  • Social networks

The biggest increase in jobs over the four-year period was seen within the infrastructure (300%) and consumer support service (229%) layers, although consumer services still ranks as the area with highest employment number (885,000).

The ad-supported digital industry directly employs 2 million Americans, and indirectly employs a further 3.1 million in other sectors.

Layer					2007 Direct Employment					2011 Direct Employment					Percent Growth
Infrastructure					140,000					420,000					300%
Infrastructure Support					165,000					254,000					54%
Consumer Support Services					190,000					435,000					229%
Consumer Services					520,000					885,000					65%
TOTAL					1,015,000					1,999,000					197%

Note: the 2011 numbers are smaller than the 5.1 million jobs referred to above because they show direct employment, not direct and indirect employment. The ad-supported digital industry directly employs 2 million Americans, and indirectly employs a further 3.1 million in other sectors.

“One of the most striking findings of this report is that growth was fast in the consumer-facing layer, but that it was even faster in the less glamorous infrastructure layer that supports the high-profile brand name sites and services” said Professor Deighton. “Jobs grew fastest in digital advertising agencies, ad networks, ad exchanges, customer analytics firms, and listening platforms. The engine of growth was not just consumer-facing companies like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, but also firms that used the data spun off by them.”

Google, 24/7 Media Inc. and ValueClick helped underwrite the third-party research for the 2012 “Economic Value of the Advertising-Supported Internet Ecosystem.”

To read the full study, please go to http://www.iab.net/economicvalue.

Methodology

The report uses three methods to provide data that, together with reasonable assumptions, can be used to estimate the U.S. domestic economic activity attributable to the advertising-supported internet ecosystem: computing the number of jobs that depend on the existence of the Internet and estimate the salaries and wages paid to these jobs; computing payments to firms for internet services, viewing the internet as if it were an island exporting to the rest of the economy; and valuing the time that users spend on the internet at its marginal value. It follows, to the extent possible, the structure and method of the earlier study, published in 2009 based on data from 2007. This update relies on data from 2011 and, when available, from the first two quarters of 2012. Note that a marginally different set of categories was applied to the 2011 internet ecosystem to reflect structural changes, and the 2007 employment was corrected from 1.2 million to 1.015 million to reflect a computation error in the earlier report.

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 Whitepaper Reveals Microtargeting Taking an Important Role in Political Campaigns Online

IAB MIXX Conference & Expo 2012

NEW YORK - As the 2012 election cycle approaches its peak of activity across all campaign levels and as the market for election advertising is estimated to top $10 billion, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) released timely findings from the “Elections 2012 and Political Ad Spend Survey,” conducted in collaboration with Campaigns & Elections Magazine. The results show an increase in political ad spending across digital platforms, while also revealing political consultants’ appetite for more precise measurement and analytics tools. In tandem, the IAB Data Council unveiled an in-depth whitepaper entitled “Election 2012: Big Data Delivers on Campaign Promise,” which demonstrates that highly effective microtargeting is playing an increasingly vital role within political campaigning.

Both of these IAB research materials come at a time when observers of campaigns and elections see an inflection point for the need for digital innovation in political campaigns and digital innovation. The explosion of digital tools, platforms, mobile and apps – and the concurrent rising tide of political ad spending – have joined forces to reshape and remap how elections are conducted.

“There is no question that digital media is influencing the political process,” said Mike Zaneis, SVP, Public Policy and General Counsel, IAB. “These groundbreaking reports demonstrate how candidates and voters alike are able to leverage the platforms to create and communicate messages while providing robust feedback to key constituencies. Digital media is making our democratic process more accessible, informative and engaging.”

Elections 2012 and Political Ad Spend Survey

For the “Elections 2012 Political Ad Strategy and Spend Survey,” IAB and Campaigns & Elections Magazine canvassed leading political strategists and consultants about their use of digital media tools and channels to disseminate campaign messaging and advocating for candidates and causes. The survey also queried them about digital effectiveness as well as future trends in digital campaigning.

Respondents who were involved in a similar capacity in any 2008 campaign said that they are spending more on digital media in this cycle. When specifically asked about the attributes and effectiveness of their digital advertising strategy for political campaigns, the surveyed group stated that the most beneficial attributes of digital advertising are its targeting capabilities; immediacy of response to negative attacks, and the ability to have a conversation with voters through social media.

Unsurprisingly, digital political campaign “return-on-investment” factors prominently in the survey, mirroring a common theme among major brands in the mainstream digital advertising marketplace. When asked what political strategists would most like to change about digital electioneering that would increase political campaign spend online, respondents said they were seeking more accurate measurement and analytics that prove digital advertising brings results and reach.

Other elements on the digital “wish list” of surveyed campaign strategists include: a desire for more customization; more data from cable companies in conjunction with the ability to buy specific programming; and strategists’ desire to do more in the digital earned and unearned media space beyond social media.

Additional findings:

• All participants noted they are spending more on social media in 2012 compared with 2008, while several noted a decline in ad spending on search marketing
• All strategists polled are currently using microtargeting in their portfolio of campaign tactics
• All respondents set different goals for digital media than they do for traditional media, with traditional media fulfilling most of their goals and digital media being deployed for supplemental goals – such as issue advocacy

The IAB survey also asked participants to make predictions about what the next election cycle will bring in terms of digital campaign trends. Key themes included:

• Increased digital targeting, including web TV and mobile
• Ability to reach an older demographic of voters (40- and 50-year old) beyond the younger demographic that dominates the digital marketplace currently
• Campaigning that will become more collegial, democratic and interactive
• The allocation of campaign resources between online ad spending and traditional media (TV) will become more challenging, as television’s impact declines while the full reach of digital will still fall short due to older audiences that are less connected online

”The IAB survey shows that national political consultants are developing broader media portfolios to channel messages to voters in more effective ways,” said Sherrill Mane, Senior Vice President, Research, Analytics and Measurement, IAB. “Their assumptions are that digital media serve extremely important message delivery goals and that digital media need to prove their efficacy.”

Election 2012: Big Data Delivers on Campaign Promise

Separately, the IAB Data Council also examined the role of interactive digital tools in today’s campaigns and elections by commissioning a whitepaper, entitled “Election 2012: Big Data Delivers on Campaign Promise,” authored by Nathan Abse, a writer and journalist who covers politics and is currently a senior correspondent for 1105 Media.

Key findings from the IAB whitepaper include:

• Microtargeting has become the predominant means of delivering political messages online
• Microtargeted political ads are growing in use as a tool among campaigns and outside groups, political consultancies, as well as public relations firms—all of which coordinate and direct political ad buy
• Microtargeted political ads are being used at all key points in political campaigns—to recruit and raise money, to persuade undecided voters and to get out the vote. They make use of online and offline data to find appropriate audiences, and create constantly adjusted models to further refine their focus
• Microtargeted messages are part of a new norm of buying qualified audiences, not qualified websites
• Microtargeting online and TV often address different needs, but TV is sometimes is preferred to online in part due to a perception that online ad buys are more complicated
• Microtargeting firms must continue to be aware of and address privacy concerns

Specifically, the research points to the increasing use of microtargeting in campaign recruiting and fundraising, persuasion and get-out-the-vote efforts.

The paper attributes the rapid rise of cross-platform microtargeted political ads in campaigns and elections to several factors:

• A polarized electorate resulting in the need to capture a hard-to-reach and dwindling “undecided” electorate in key, swing battleground states
• A virtual explosion since 2008 in advanced technology and digital tools that allow for greater reach at lower costs compared with traditional media channels, such as TV
• Unlimited campaign ad spending following the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in “Citizens United v. FEC”

“It’s clear from our whitepaper that microtargeting is positioned to accomplish in elections what traditional media can’t fully deliver, filling a vital gap for candidates and more fully serving the direct needs and interests of voters,” said Patrick Dolan, Executive Vice President and COO, IAB. “The 2012 cycle could be the tipping point for more accurate and efficient online political targeting, reach and results, thanks to dexterous digital tools and platforms.”

“Election 2012: Big Data Delivers on Campaign Promise” is the result of in-depth interviews with more than 15 leading digital political advertisers and consultants involved directly in microtargeting, as well as data brokers, political scientists, journalists and other subject experts.

Both the IAB survey and whitepaper were released at the IAB MIXX Conference in New York City.

To download the complete findings from “Elections 2012 and Political Ad Spend Survey” and/or the “Election 2012: Big Data Delivers on Campaign Promise” whitepaper, please visitwww.iab.net/election2012.

Methodology for “Elections 2012 and Political Ad Spend Survey”

The IAB partnered with Campaigns and Elections magazine to solicit respondents to a survey of national political campaign consultants and strategists in the U.S. Understanding that this professional circle includes a highly limited number, the organizations strove to attract as many respondents as possible through three email blasts sent directly to subscribers to Campaigns and Elections magazine between July and September, 2012. Out of 131 respondents to the survey, 44 individuals were currently involved in at least one national campaign. The survey further qualified respondents through a series of questions on awareness and involvement in campaign media allocation and spend decisions. Much of the information reported comes from analyses of verbatims provided by the respondents.

About Campaigns & Elections Magazine

Campaigns & Elections is the preeminent “how-to” journal of politics, focused on the tools, tactics and techniques of the political consulting profession. Published bimonthly, C&E brings readers inside the world of campaign strategy and management with case studies and insights from the movers and shakers of the political consulting world.

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.

Political Roundtable with Cheryl Contee, Chris Hughes, Josh Marshall & Patrick Ruffini to Examine How the Internet Will Decide the Presidency

IAB MIXX Conference & Expo 2012

NEW YORK - After the nation’s major political parties have convened their nominating conventions and a time when voters turn their attention to a ramped-up election season post-Labor Day, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) announced today that it will host a special roundtable focused on digital media and its role in the Presidential election. Called “The Digital Election: How the Internet Will Decide the Presidency,” this landmark session will feature media and political thought leaders from across the spectrum, as part of the robust agenda for the annual IAB MIXX Conference & Expo, to be held on October 1-2, 2012, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Times Square in New York.

Featured speakers for “The Digital Election: How the Internet Will Decide the Presidency” include:

• Josh Marshall, Session Moderator & Editor and Publisher, TalkingPointsMemo
• Cheryl Contee, Co-Founder, Jack & Jill Politics, and Partner, Fission Strategy
• Chris Hughes, Co-Founder, Facebook and Editor-in-Chief, The New Republic, and chief architect of the 2008 Obama digital campaign
• Patrick Ruffini, President, Engage

“This year’s elections are not the first where digital and social media play a prominent role, but they do feature a new media landscape that is exponentially more powerful, more active and more multifaceted than ever,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB. “Hearing perspectives about how social and digital media are shaping the 2012 elections is a timely and exciting addition to our MIXX agenda, and the speakers we’ve assembled bring unique and well-honed experiences to the conversation.”

During the session, MIXX attendees will hear Contee, Hughes, Marshall and Ruffini discuss and evaluate the impact of digital and social media in the electoral process, future trends, and lessons learned from real-life episodes involving candidates and lawmakers and their sometimes notorious social network experiences.

“The 2008 Presidential election was historic not just because of the result, but because of how the result was reached — it was digital democracy in full bloom,” said Hughes. “New media technologies played a crucial role in everything from message communications to fundraising to grassroots organization and voter engagement. This year, mobile and social technologies are transforming the political landscape yet again, although in a distinctly different way than last time around.”

“The introduction and expansion of social media in campaigns and elections has become the great ‘equalizer’ and one of the few level-playing fields in our democratic process,” said Ruffini. “The social web is now an essential component of every kind of political campaign – from local office to state and federal elections, forever altering the path to Election Day.”

“The Digital Election: How the Internet Will Decide the Presidency” will take place on the second day of MIXX, at 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, October 2.

To find out more about the IAB MIXX Conference & Expo, “The Big Bang: When Technology and Creativity Collide,” please go to: www.iab.net/mixx. For the complete agenda, please visit www.iab.net/mixx/agenda.

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.

 

Nominated Brands and Agencies Highlight Innovative Creative & Measurable Target Audience Impact

IAB MIXX Awards 2012

NEW YORK - Finalists for the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s (IAB) 2012 MIXX Awards were announced today, in 14 campaign and 13 single execution categories. Together, they represent the industry’s best work from across the globe and showcase the visionary talent that pushes it to new heights each year. One of the most coveted and prestigious awards in digital, this year’s 111 finalists include 30 from countries outside the United States – with Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Italy, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, and the United Kingdom all represented. New this year is the IAB Standard Rich Media Display Ad category, reflecting the marketplace’s significant adoption of the IAB Rising Stars Display ad formats, a set of six new dynamic rich-media canvasses that are now a key part of the IAB Standard Ad Unit Portfolio.

“As the marketing industry continues its remarkable transformation in the digital age, we continue to be awestruck by the talent behind the remarkable combination of quality creative and impressive technology,” said David Doty, Executive Vice President and CMO, IAB. “The unprecedented need to strike a balance between art and technology is what led the IAB to work with leading agencies and publishers to deliver the Rising Stars, which in turn will help drive the next wave of bold interactive storytelling for brand marketers.”

Nick Law, Global Chief Creative Officer, R/GA, will be Chair of the 2012 IAB MIXX Awards judging panel, marking the first time such a leadership position has been established for the judging committee. In his new role, Law will guide the conversation and debate with 31 other members of the jury, which is comprised of leaders from across the ecosystem—agencies, marketers and publishers—setting these rigorous appraisals apart from any other industry awards show.

“The nominees are an impressive collection of advertising, most of which doesn’t look like advertising. This is a good thing because so few people like advertising enough to want to interact with it. ‘How do I get a message in front of people?’ is not the same question as ‘why would someone care about this?’ Put simply, the finalists have managed to make stuff that is interesting enough to interact with,” said Law.

Focused on creativity and impact, the MIXX Awards is the only competition that evaluates all key facets of interactive marketing, including strategy, creative development and execution, media placement and integration, effectiveness and ROI.

“Not only does this list represent the finest creative achievements in the digital advertising space over this past year, but it also reflects the strong results that this work generated,” said Doty. “Ads are meaningless if they can’t do the job – reaching audiences and engaging them. That’s why the IAB MIXX Awards are a standout in the industry, recognizing the one-two-punch of creative excellence and real-world deliverables.”

The winners will be announced at the IAB MIXX Awards Gala, which will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Times Square on Tuesday, October 2, and be hosted for the second year by Baratunde Thurston, a politically active, technology-savvy comedian and best-selling author. The Gala is the culmination of the preeminent two-day IAB MIXX Conference & Expo Marketplace held during Advertising Week in New York City. To purchase tickets, please visit http://www.iab.net/mixxawards/gala_registration.

MIXX Awards – 2012 Finalists

Campaign Categories:

Brand Awareness and Positioning

Kia Motors America and Initiative for “2012 Kia Super Bowl Optima Campaign ‘A Dream Car. For Real Life’”

American Express OPEN and Digitas for “Big Break for Small Business”

Gatorade and VML for “Everything to Prove”

Google Chrome and BBH NY and Creative Labs for “The Web Is What You Make Of It”

Business-To-Business

GE and TBWA for “GE Future Folklore”

American Express OPEN and Digitas and CP+B for “Small Business Saturday”

DuPont and OgilvyEntertainment for “The Horizons Project”

CenturyLink and McKinney for “Ultimate Problem Solver”

Cross-Media Integration

American Express and Digitas for “Amex Sync Show”

American Honda Motor Co. and RPA for “CR-V Leap List”

Insurance Australia Group and WHYBINTBWATEQUILA for “NRMA Car Creation”

Samsung and Starcom MediaVest Group for “Samsung Mobile Project Teamwork”

Digital Integration

American Express and Digitas for “Amex Sync Show”

Nike+ and R/GA for “Nike+ FuelBand”

American Express OPEN and Digitas and CP+B for “Small Business Saturday”

Smirnoff and Profero for “Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project 2011”

Polaris Industries and The Integer Group for “Victory Motorcycles Virtual Dealerships”

Direct Response and Lead Generation

American Express and Digitas for “Amex Sync Show”

Zellers and john st. for “Festive Finale”

Insurance Australia Group and WHYBINTBWATEQUILA for “NRMA Car Creation”

CenturyLink and McKinney for “Ultimate Problem Solver”

Experimental and Innovative

Anthem BlueCross and Deutsch LA for “Anthem Reputation Campaign Augmented Reality & Experimental Digital”

HBO’s Boardwalk Empire Season 2 and HBO for “Boardwalk Empire Compliments of Nucky”

Giant Bicycles and Leo Burnett Melbourne for “Everyday Rider Sponsorships”

American Honda Motor Co. and RPA for “Pintermission”

Mobile Advertising

Marriott and Beeby Clark+Meyler for “Marriott Mobile App Launch”

Microsoft Corporation’s Windows Phone and Starcom MediaVest Group for “Microsoft Mango Launch”

Nokia’s Lumia 800 Smartphone and [a•mo•bee] for “Nokia Lumia in Amobee 3D”

FedEx and OMD for “Shazam Super Bowl”

Mobile Branded App

Ubisoft Just Dance 3 and CP+B for “Autodance”

Johnson & Johnson and JWT New York for “Band-Aid Magic Vision”

BMW North America’s BMW ActivE and kbs+ New York for “BMW EVolve App”

Lexus and Webling Interactive for “Lexus CT City Challenge”

Multicultural

Heineken USA and The Vidal Partnership for “Keep It Legendary”

Easy Way Language Center and Loducca for “Pronunciation Game”

L’Oréal’s Maybelline New York and Hungry Boys for “Russian Girls Take Over New York”

Johnson & Johnson and The Vidal Partnership for “Zyrtec ‘Ama El Aire’”

Product Launch

Unilever’s AXE and Razorfish for “Anarchy: The Graphic Novel”

Chrysler Group and SapientNitro for “Fiat 500 Abarth Reveal”

Gatorade and OMD for “G-Fit to be Tried”

Unilever’s Magnum Ice Cream and Mindshare for “Pleasure Personified”

Public Service/Not For Profit

NGIA and VML Australia for “Improve Your Plant/Life Balance”

WWF and john st. for “National Sweater Day”

St Vincent de Paul Society and George Patterson Y&R Sydney for “Signed Finds”

Mars Petcare and WHYBINTBWATEQUILA for “The Pedigree Adoption Drive”

Search Marketing

Sony Pictures Entertainment and UM for “Moneyball Google/Fandango”

Garanti Bank for “Search Marketing Campaign for Loans”

Volkswagen and MediaCom for “Search Strikes Back”

Pfizer and RAPP for “Viagra Anti-Counterfeit”

Social Marketing

7-Eleven’s Slurpee and Leo Burnett Melbourne for “BYO Cup Day”

Zellers and john st. for “Festive Finale”

Barneys and Digital Surgeons for “Gaga’s Workshop”

HBO for “Game of Thrones”

Video Advertising

American Express and Digitas and Momentum for “American Express Unstaged”

American Express and Digitas for “Amex Sync Show”

L’Oréal USA’s Dermablend and Tuxedo Agency for “Go Beyond the Cover”

Samsung and Starcom MediaVest Group for “Project Teamwork”

Single Execution Categories:

Brand Destination Site

Chevrolet and Microsoft Advertising for “Chevrolet Route 66”

Sherwin-Williams and McKinney for “Chip it!”

Google and BBH LA for “Google Music”

L’Oréal and Federated Media Publishing for “L’Oreal’s Makeup.com”

Toyota Motor Sales, USA and Saatchi & Saatchi LA for “Yaris – It’s a Car!”

Branded Content

Unilever’s AXE and Razorfish for “Anarchy: The Graphic Novel”

Sherwin-Williams and McKinney for “Chip It!”

General Mills and McCann for “Nature Valley Trail View”

Australian Bureau of Statistics and Leo Burnett for “Spotlight”

Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph and Leo Burnett Milan Italy for “The Beauty of a Second”

Custom Rich Media Display Ad

Miller Lite and Digitas for “Smack Talk Banners”

Telekom and Yahoo! for “Telekom Entertain. Your personal Entertain experience.”

Intel / 2nd Generation Intel Core Processors and Ansible for “The Escape iAd”

Fendi and The Studio at Condé Nast for “Vote Fall Runaway”

Digital-Out-Of-Home

ASICS and Inwindow Outdoor, Vitro, OAG, and CBS Outdoor for “ASICS ING New York City Marathon Columbus Circle Subway Campaign”

HBO and PHD for “Game of Thrones Ambient Icewall”

Insurance Australia Group and WHYBINTBWATEQUILA for “NRMA Bus Shelter”

SKINS and VML Australia for “Quick Fit Station”

Games

Frito Lay and OMD for “Farmville”

Samsung, Galaxy SII and Starcom MediaVest Group for “Galaxy and the Golden Egg”

Toyota Motor Sales, USA and Saatchi & Saatchi LA for “Your Dungeon My Dragon”

Johnson & Johnson and JWT New York for “Zyrtec Parks Unleashed”

IAB Standard Rich Media Display Ad – *New*

Alfa Romeo and LIQID for “Alfa Romeo Giulietta Launch – IAB Filmstrip”

Starcom MediaVest Group and Demand Media for “Chevy Sonic – IAB Billboard”

A&E Television Networks for “The Glades – IAB Medium Rectangle”

Lionsgate and AOL for “The Hunger Games – IAB Portrait”

Interactive Video

American Express and Digitas and Momentum for “American Express Unstaged – Coldplay”

Mercedes-Benz CL-Class and AMVBBDO for “Escape the Map”

Ford Motor Company and Mindshare for “Ford Focus Interactive Cinema”

HBO and Definition 6 for “True Blood ‘Immortalize Yourself’ Facebook Application”

Location Based Advertising

adidas and iProspect for “adidas Takes Sales Back to the Streets”

Showtime and OMD for “The Franchise Fan Cave Catch”

The Home Depot and The Richards Group and Click Here for “The Home Depot – Lawn & Garden Outlook”

Lionsgate and AOL for “The Hunger Games – IAB Portrait”

Mobile Ad

Scandinavian Airlines and CP+B for “Couple up to Buckle up”

Dunkin’ Donuts and Hill Holliday for “Dunkin’ Coffee Customizer”

FedEx and OMD for “Shazam Super Bowl”

Intel / 2nd Generation Intel Core Processors and Ansible for “The Escape iAd”

Mobile Brand Destination Site

La Quinta Inns & Suites and Definition 6 for “La Quinta Mobile”

Toyota Motor Sales, USA and Saatchi & Saatchi LA for “The Camry Effect”

Microsoft Corporation and Iconmobile for “Windows Phone Demo Takeover”

McDonald’s and Arc Worldwide and Leo Burnett Chicago for “You Want McDonald’s Fries With That.”

Online Commercial

Google Chrome and BBH NY and Google Creative Labs for “Dear Sophie”

Kraft’s Boost and Droga5 Australia for “Moreing”

American Honda Motor Co. and RPA for “Road Trip”

Rethink Breast Cancer and john st. for “Your Man Reminder”

Tablet Marketing

Unilever and BrightLine for “AXE Anarchy”

BMW North America and kbs+ New York for “BMW Electronauts iPad App”

Lenovo and McKinney for “Boot or Bust”

OppenheimerFunds and Euro RSCG Worldwide for “Globalize Your Thinking”

Viral

john st. for “Catvertising”

American Honda Motor Co. and RPA for “Matthew’s Day Off”

Walmart and Lattitud for “WGuitar”

Rethink Breast Cancer and john st. for “Your Man Reminder”

Founded in 2005 to honor creativity and effectiveness in interactive advertising, the IAB’s MIXX Awards have grown into the premier honor in digital marketing. Last year’s MIXX Award winners included many of the most prominent brand marketers in the United States, including General Motors, Unilever, Diageo, Doritos, Allstate Insurance, and IBM, as well as leading agencies such as BBH New York, Durham & McKinney, Ogilvy New York, and Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. In 2011, American Express OPEN, CP+B and DIGITAS took home Best-in-Show, the gala’s top prize, for “Small Business Saturday,” a campaign that in three short weeks was able to develop and launch a brand new shopping day that consumers had never heard of, driving retail sales for small business owners at the beginning of the crucial holiday shopping season. To view the complete gallery of the 2011 MIXX category award winners and previous years’ winners, please visit www.iab.net/mixxawards/gallery2011.

To find out more about the MIXX Conference & Expo, please go to: www.iab.net/mixx.

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.