All Eyes on Eyeblaster: Ran Cohen Gabs on Gaming, Rich Media and Resurgence at His Stalwart Company
As Director of Emerging Media, Ran Cohen joined Eyeblaster in efforts to support the expansion of the Advertising Campaign Management (ACM) suite to additional emerging digital platforms such as games, mobile and IPTV. Cohen will be the first to admit that his gaming experience was not extensive but a background within business and technology prepared him for Eyeblaster and the gaming industry just as well.
Prior to Eyeblaster, Cohen served as VP Business Development and Senior Director of product marketing in C.A.C Media, Comverse Technology and Odigo. Working with a company in the beginning stages became an integral part of Cohen’s work ethic and solid background. ADOTAS takes a minute to talk to the Director of Emerging Media about his role at Eyeblaster, how the gaming industry has become a part of his life and about the in-game advertising factory at Eyeblaster.
Hi, Ran. Before Eyeblaster, what was your experience?
I joined Eyeblaster to support the expansion of Eyeblaster’s Advertising Campaign Management (ACM) suite to additional emerging digital platforms such as games, mobile and IPTV. My experience did not include an in-depth understanding of the gaming industry; however, I had a strong background evaluating business environments and emerging technologies, and opportunities where the two areas fit well together. In the past, I was involved with business development in instant messaging, user oriented mobile applications and IPTV projects. In this context, I collaborated with third parties and leveraged emerging technologies to introduce new revenue-generating products.
How does your current role at Eyeblaster differ from your professional history?
The focus of this industry is on providing value to end users through entertainment- this is different from my past work, and it’s very rewarding. I am pleased to have helped bring to market eb.in-games, Eyeblaster’s in-game ad product, which creates additional monetization options for game developers — and additional incentives to deliver quality content to end users.
Did you have an interest in Eyeblaster before joining the company? How did your experience, which did not involve in-game advertising, come to prepare you for the Eyeblaster opportunity?
I had been following Eyeblaster for a few years before I joined the company. The introduction of Eyeblaster’ Advertising Campaign Management product suite, which provides a comprehensive set of tools and products to interactive agencies, brought about the need to expand such capabilities to additional platforms. I thought this new opportunity presented a tailored fit between my skill set and the company’s needs.
What company gave you a start within the technology world and how did you make it to where you are today?
Odigo, an instant messaging and presence startup that was later acquired by Comverse Technologies (NASDAQ: CMVT) gave me my start and provided a solid background with technology products. Like many other startups, the company began in a small apartment with high expectations and a heavy workload. I joined the company in its very early stages and was lucky to get the opportunity to face growing challenges on both the business and product sides. Those years were very intense, and I was exposed to and involved with the many different ingredients required for success of any product. Since then I have taken part in many other projects, all having something to do with innovation. Those experiences lead me to my role at Eyeblaster today.
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