IAB Expands Following Growth In Online Advertising
The huge growth in online advertising has led to fast-paced growth for the industry’s representative body, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), with the latest office opening in Denmark and a new Leadership Council formed to help companies with pan-European interests work together to grow interactive marketing.
The IAB branch in Denmark will be run by the longstanding FDIM Danish association (Foreningen af Danske InternetMedier) as IAB Europe develops representation in markets currently outside of its network.
Explaining the move, Christian Peytz, chairman of FDIM, said: “for several years FDIM has worked on standards for advertising and statistics in Denmark. But internet is global and therefore it is natural for us to join IAB Europe and continue our work across the borders in co-operation with IAB-representatives from the other countries. We look forward to join the work of developing the online media in Europe.”
Meanwhile, the creation of the new European Leadership Council is intended to help agencies, media owners, advertisers, technologists and other key stakeholders to develop best-practice and strategy for the take-up of interactive marketing. The Council will also take a leading role in designing new international standards and research from the IAB, as well as supporting IAB launches in new countries.
The new Council is, according to Danny Meadows-Klue, CEO of IAB Europe, essential for further growth. “Until now IAB Europe has simply been a support tool for the national IAB network,” he explained. “Membership has not been open to companies directly, and that needs to change so we can support the unique needs of pan-European marketers. The next phase of digital marketing’s growth is well underway.”
The expansion also sees online veteran Steve Miller join IAB Europe as membership manager. Miller was most recently head of membership for the UK IAB. His career in online began in 1997 with NetNames, followed by senior marketing roles at Virtual Internet and e-comsport group.
Miller’s new role will be to support agencies, media owners, service companies and clients who can now work directly with the IAB at pan-European level. The appointment has been made in response to the increasing appetite for pan-European research, the centralisation of standards development and the growing business of pan-European clients.
Earlier this year, the IAB UK set a target for the internet to be a billion pound medium and overtake the market share of outdoor media by mid 2006. Following his 100 day review of the IAB, Guy Phillipson, the trade body’s new chief executive, announced a five point plan to help advertisers get more out of online media (see IAB Sets Target For Online Industry).
IAB: 020 8683 955 www.iabuk.net