Supply side platform the Rubicon Project is bolstering its European operations with three new hires: Formerly client services manager at Media Initiatives Group, Morwenna Beales has come aboard as an account manager. After two years serving AOL in the role of head of publisher analysis, Anissa Assoul will work with the Account Management team to analyze and report on European pub performance. Finally, after managing ad ops and reporting at MIG, Erin Laing will work to verify and optimize third-party ad campaigns with the Revv for demand platform.

Time Warner’s multimedia targeting firm Media Networks Inc. (MNI) welcomed Amy L. Andrews as director of publisher relations for MNI and sister divisions Targeted Media and MNI MediaConnect. Most recently Andrews could be found sitting in the executive marketing director’s chair at Hearst Magazines/Redbook.

Media business software provider Marketron just created the new role of vice president of professional services and pre-sales, and happened to find the right person for the job: Jerome Holbus. With 20 years of experience, Holbus joins i2 Technologies, where he was global director of solutions.

Jeannine Antus Koncar is joining LogicLab, a media buying optimization platform, as vice president of advertiser sales. Previously Koncar led sales for mobile solutions at Gumiyo and sales for the Western region at Captivate Network.

Social media marketing agency Fanscape has added Teala Comer as an account director and Andrew Germer as manager of social media strategy. A 10-year veteran of account management and client relations in online and retail, Comer presionsly served as strategic account manager for INgage Networks and account director for Virtual Solutions. Having recently received his MBA, Germer has hopped up the ladder from being an intern at Fanscape.

Weintraub and Terry Dry are founders of Fanscape, a digital engagement advertising agency. I talked with them last week about social media and internet advertising. Social media is not changing the world, Weintraub said, but it’s chaning how we view advertising. We’re just not watching advertising the same way; we’re sharing it through multiple channels, fostered by social media, he said.

One thing they did say that stuck with me is that brands are sometimes resistant to getting involved in social media campaigns, saying that they don’t want to lose control of their message. Their eneral response is that most brands are already being talked about or will be somewhere online. The only question is if the brand wants to be involved in that conversation. They talk below about how they discuss options with reluctant brands as well as how they help brands that have problems with their products. (Here’s the link if the video disappears)

Fanscape:

Christina Mejia and Bithika Mehra were hired as director and coordinator, respectively, of research and analytics. Both are based out of Fanscape’s Los Angeles office.

Mejia was with Fanscape from 2001 through 2007, most recently serving as director of data, media and market research. Before returning, Christina Mejia was a market research analyst at DEI Worldwide.

Prior to Fanscape, Bithika Mehra worked in the financial sector in India where she devised successful channel marketing strategies to meet the company’s revenue targets.

Collective Media:

Brian Elliott was named Director, Automotive Category. Elliott, who previously served as the Director of Yahoo!’s Automotive Category, will lead Collective Media’s Detroit office. During his four year tenure at Yahoo!, Elliott led automotive category sales efforts, identifying and bringing to market new targeting products. He also led the audience creation and planning function, demand planning and sales support efforts. Prior to this position, he served as both Strategy Director and Sales Director.

Ripple6:

Paul DePinto assumes the position of Vice President of Sales East. Prior to joining Ripple6 Paul was Vice President of Sales for Invoke Solutions. Before Invoke, Paul was instrumental in the success of marketing solutions and Internet start up organizations Red Brick Systems and enCommerce. He started his career at AT&T and moved into senior sales and national account management roles at Information Builders.

Mike Tracy was promoted to Vice President of Sales West. Mike has been with Ripple6 for 6 months in the position of Regional Sales Director West. Prior to joining Ripple6 he managed the Central & West Region for SPSS, a $300M Predictive Analytics software company. Additionally, Mike was a co-founder and principal partner in Seamus, Inc. a sales outsourcing company assisting start ups with sales strategy.

Crowd Science:

Robert Hooven is joining Crowd Science as Vice President of Sales. Hooven comes to Crowd Science from comScore, where he was senior vice president of sales for the comScore M:Metrics division. Before M:Metrics, Bob was head of sales for the Forrester High-Tech Group in the Western Region.

MediaVest USA:

Amanda Richman is elevated to EVP, Managing Director, MediaVest USA. Prior to her role as SVP, Director of Digital Services, Amanda served as SVP, Digital Group Client Director at MediaVest on P&G.

The Jordan, Edmiston Group:

Wenda Harris Millard, the veteran digital advertising and media industry senior executive, has joined the firm’s Advisory Board.
 In April 2009, Ms. Millard became President of Media Link LLC, a strategic advisory and representation firm. Previously, she was co-CEO and President, Media, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Ms. Millard is immediate past chair of the Interactive Advertising Bureau and has served on the Boards of the Advertising Council, the American Advertising Federation, the Advertising Education Foundation and others.

Yahoo:

Tim Morse was named as chief financial officer. Morse currently serves as the CFO of semiconductor company Altera Corp. Prior to Altera, Morse was at GE, including a stint as the CFO for the conglomerate’s plastics division.

Ning:

Julie Supan, YouTube senior director of marketing, has left to become vice president of marketing at social network platform Ning. (via MediaPost)

The Rubicon Project:

Jay Stevens, former Vice President of European operations, and most recently SVP of Audience, at MySpace, joins the company as Vice President and General Manager, International. Prior to joining MySpace in February of 2006, Jay was the director of international for Silverpop, the UK’s leading email marketing software and services provider.

Fanscape:

Clea Shearer was hired as senior manager of social media marketing. Shearer is based out of Fanscape’s Los Angeles office. Prior to Fanscape, Shearer worked at MySpace in the public affairs department and helped run the site’s non-profit / political hub. After graduating from Parsons School of Design with a business degree in marketing, Shearer worked as a publicist for brands such as Coach and Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City before returning to her hometown of Los Angeles.

Beliefnet:

Ju-Don Roberts, former Managing Editor of WashingtonPost.com, has been hired as its new Executive Editor and Senior Vice President. Before joining the Post in 1992, Roberts worked at the Washington Times. She returned to the Post in 1995 after a brief stint at the Charlotte Observer. Roberts is on the board of the Online News Association and the digital task force of the National Association of Black Journalists. She was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University and earned her BA from Howard University.

MediaVest USA:

Brian Terkelsen was elevated to President, connectivetissue, MediaVest USA, and Greg Warren to President, Client Services, MediaVest USA.

Previously EVP, Managing Director, Terkelsen will focus on expanding MediaVest‘s content creation capabilities. Terkelsen, who joined MediaVest in 2003, built and leads MediaVest connectivetissue, the agency’s brand-in entertainment practice.

In his new role, Warren, previously EVP, Managing Director, will oversee the agency’s Client Services capability, with a focus on tools and training that foster a culture of client services excellence and elevate it as a discipline. Warren joined MediaVest in 2006.

Turn:

Hugh McGoran was hired as vice president of sales. He was previously at Peer39, and before that Tacoda.

Pandora Media:

Aimee Higgins was hired for the newly created position of vice president, sales strategy and planning. Most recently, she served as senior vice president, strategy and creative services at CafeMom, in New York. Prior to that, Higgins built and led creative services for Fox Interactive Media, where her teams provided centralized creative design and sponsorship execution support to MySpace, IGN, Fox, American Idol.com, Photobucket, and Fox Sports.

Afar Media:

Daniel Orum was hired as Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Digital Operations. Orum joins AFAR Media from International Data Group/Gamepro Media where he most recently served as President/CEO. Previously, Orum was Vice President Interactive Media at Weider Publishing Interactive Group.

Spring Creek Group:

Xavier Jiménez, a leading digital marketing and web analytics professional who has worked with companies such as Microsoft, T-Mobile, and Real Networks, has joined its team as Principal and Practice Lead for Web Analytics and Measurement. Prior to joining Spring Creek Group, Jiménez ran Arete Analytics. Previously, Jiménez held senior level marketing and strategy positions with Publicis in the West, Photoworks (an American Greetings company), Real Networks, aQuantive, and uBid.com.

Screen Digest:

The media analyst firm has expanded its presence in the US by promoting Arash Amel, a respected commentator on the global entertainment industry, to Research Director for Digital Media.

Moiré Studio:

Leigh George, an experienced branding professional, has been hired as director of strategy. Before joining Moiré, Ms. George was an account executive at Greenfield/ Belser, a professional services design and marketing firm based in Washington, D.C., where she managed high-profile national accounts including Navigant Consulting and Venable LLP. Previously, at Westat, a leading research company based in Rockville, Md., Ms. George managed the firm’s corporate brand across 15 divisions.

MRM Worldwide:

Cheryl Van Ooyen in the New York office as Vice President, Group Creative Director.

The tour of up-and-coming indie talent and established artists, picked the digital engagement marketing agency for the 8th consecutive year. Fanscape will run several innovative and effective marketing tactics for the international touring music and extreme sports festival, including database growth and management, email marketing, content syndication, fan outreach, and several sponsorship activations.

“Fanscape is thrilled to yet again work with the Vans Warped Tour, one of summer’s most anticipated music festivals,” said Larry Weintraub, co-founder and CEO of Fanscape. “Vans Warped Tour has been at the forefront in using new and emerging technologies, and Fanscape is proud to have partnered in the Tour’s growth for the better part of a decade.”

Fanscape’s specialty services include: social media marketing; digital communications; new media promotions and integrations; creative strategies for Web concepts and executions, and activating mobile marketing initiatives.

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Burst Media:

Jim Garrity was appointed to the company’s Board of Directors. Garrity, who retired from his most recent position as the Chief Marketing Officer of Wachovia Corporation in July of 2007, will provide strategic leadership and support for Burst’s global business objectives.

Fanscape:

Melissa Taylor has been named VP, account management, putting her in charge of all Fanscape client relations. She was formerly the department’s senior director. Prior to Fanscape, Taylor served as marketing manager at Interscope, Geffen, and A&M Records.

Christy Wise has been named VP, marketing. Wise was formerly the department’s senior director. Prior to Fanscape, Wise served as a publicist for JAG Entertainment.

Michael Francesconi has been elevated to director, social media marketing, working within Fanscape’s Digital Communications Department, making the move from senior manager. Prior to joining Fanscape, Francesconi served as community manager for the Huffington Post.

My-lan Beauford has been promoted to senior manager, digital publicity, working within Fanscape’s Digital Communications Department. She was formerly manager, publicity. Prior to Fanscape, Beauford served as a publicist for JAG Entertainment.

Ben Arnold has been promoted to senior manager, digital promotions, within Fanscape’s Digital Communications Department. Arnold was formerly the department’s manager of digital promotions.

Liza Patriana has been promoted to account executive within Fanscape’s Account Management Department. Patriana formerly served as the department’s coordinator.

Epsilon:

Bryan Kennedy, formerly Epsilon’s chief operating officer, and president of its Marketing Technology group, has been promoted to president and chief executive officer of Epsilon.

Hawkeye:

Megan Talbott has been named director of Insight & Strategy and New Business Development. Prior to hawkeye, she was division vice president of Brand Communications at Maritz. She has held marketing positions with DVC Worldwide and Ernst & Young Consulting. As an independent marketing strategist and relationship manager she consulted for clients such as Sprint, Tribal DDB, Ziff-Davis/SmartPlanet.com, Zipatoni and New York Clearinghouse.

S3:

Paul Gibney was names as Public Relations Director. He was most recently Account Director for Corinth Group Communications, a specialty medical education and communications firm in New York City. Previously, Paul was employed with the American Liver Foundation and ORBIS International.

Yahoo:

Guilherme Ribenboim, a nine-year Yahoo! veteran, has been named president of Yahoo! Latin America and U.S. Hispanic region.

Armando Rodriguez has been named general manager for Yahoo! Hispanic Americas

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- Less really is more: marketers can achieve more by targeting few.
- “You think you know, but you don’t.”
- Social Media definitions now will not be the definitions of the future-brands. Companies will need to understand that different tactics and tools of social media are not clearly defined, as the industry progresses these terms will change.
- Brands/companies will begin to define in RFP’s exactly what their looking for vs. using buzz terms to appear knowledgeable about the space.
- Consumer behavior will continue to change in the social media landscape — as consumers become more comfortable with one-to-one interaction, more will begin participating in conversations rather than just observing.
- Online buzz and awareness will grow in effectiveness to directly influence sales, viewership etc — driving customers more and more to act
- Professional media will try and regain their presence on the Web by infiltrating user-generated communities – i.e. Television/Film Networks/Studios taking over YouTube, marketers infiltrating Twitter, brands influencing the “influencers”, etc.
- For any of these sites to stay in existence – they need advertising, and advertisers will not support only user-based content.
As a result, major entertainment brands will take over these spaces, in order for them to stay alive, forging a real partnership with the sites formerly dedicated to “you.”
-The online audience will become more sophisticated in their needs and requirements for entertainment, news, videos, etc. They will seek more credible resources for distributing information and will shy away from the content currently being distributed by their peers. Though user-generated content, blogs, communities, etc. will still thrive, users will want to see more from their favorite brands, news outlets, actors, television shows – those deemed “the professionals” – and ultimately they will get their wishes based on the above prediction about the UGC take over.
- As influencers and internet celebrities become more and more prominent in the space – they are going to inevitably open themselves up to become extensions of brands – whether they like it or not. Brands will continue to reach out to budding online talent/popular web-users to endorse their brand. Most will not succeed. Those that do succeed (the brands and the internet celebrities) will be those that find the way to organically marry the two seamlessly.

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Federated Media Publishing has welcomed Justin Nesci to its fold as senior vice president of sales and marketing. Nesci has worked in marketing and sales for Warner Music Group, IMG and MTV Networks/Nickelodeon.

Glam Media, a vertical content network, announced that Yukihiro Yamamura has joined the company as CEO of its newly formed subsidiary Glam Media Japan KK, and as a Vice President of Glam Media, Inc. Glam plans to launch its Japanese site later this year. Yamamura joins Glam from DoubleClick Japan where he was CEO and most recently from Excite Japan, where he was CEO since 1999.

Time Warner’s celeb-crazed TMZ is saying goodbye to Alan Citron, its longtime GM. He is joining Buzznet, a pop-culture focused social media firm, to head up special projects.

Fanscape, an emerging media marketing agency, has brought Lori Dicker on board as VP of interactive media. Prior to joining Fanscape, Lori helps posts at Discovery/Liberty Media’s Ascent Media Group and Omnicom’s Organic.