AOL's Platform-A to manage Verizon's online, mobile ad inventory

By Mickey Alam Khan

April 15, 2008

Expecting A-class service

In an instance of a mobile relationship leading to more business, Verizon Communications Inc. has tapped AOL's Platform-A unit to manage its online advertising inventory in addition to mobile Web.

The telecommunications giant will use Platform-A's sales force and offerings for ad-serving, targeting and inventory management for display, mobile and video ad services. It will also continue to use Platform-A's Third Screen Media mobile ad serving platform, as it has done for a year.

"It means that we're the only sales force that's going to sell their inventory on a branded, guaranteed placement basis," said Lynda Clarizio, president of Platform-A, New York.

Per the terms of the agreement, Verizon will use Platform-A to manage all online inventory and most of the company's mobile inventory.

Also, Platform-A is the only sales organization that can represent Verizon's inventory in the marketplace and guarantee placement within the Verizon network.

All other Verizon sales partners are selling on a blind-network basis, Ms. Clarizio said.

"They're one of the largest carriers in the United States," Ms. Clarizio said. "I think that they're unique in that they're trying to sell across platform -- online inventory as well as mobile."

Verizon, which owns a landline business and also a 50 percent stake in Verizon Wireless with equal partner Vodafone, has relied on Third Screen Media's ad-serving platform for more than a year to bring brand advertisers on to its mobile network.

Third Screen Media offers geographic, demographic and content targeting, along with display and sponsorships on Verizon Wireless' on-deck portal, sections and article pages.

The Verizon ad network also runs ads on the Verizon Wireless Mobile Web pages.

Platform-A is AOL's one-stop shop for online and mobile ad services. The unit includes Third Screen Media for mobile, Advertising.com for online, Tacoda for audience insights and behavioral targeting, Quigo for site and content-targeted ads and Adtech, a German online ad-serving arm.

AOL is mostly owned by Time Warner Inc. and 5 percent by search giant Google Inc.

"Our objective is to be a successful partner for Verizon and to continue to grow the emerging mobile and online advertising inventory space," Ms. Clarizio said.