Anna Bager Promoted to Senior Vice President, Mobile & Video, to Lead Unit
Hulu’s Peter Naylor Named Chairman of the Center’s Board of Directors
NEW YORK, NY — In response to digital videos’ skyrocketing growth, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today announced the launch of the IAB Digital Video Center of Excellence, an independently funded and staffed unit inside the IAB, devoted to promoting the development of the digital video medium within the marketing, advertising and media ecosystem. It will produce research projects, digital video advertising case studies, technical standards, creative showcases and best practice identification in the burgeoning arena of digital video.
The Center will be led by Anna Bager, who has been promoted to the new position of Senior Vice President, Mobile and Video, bringing together two of the digital media and marketing industries’ most significant growth platforms under her leadership. While continuing to supervise the IAB Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, Bager will focus on tying together various IAB video activities – including Advanced TV, Digital Video, and the Digital Content Newfronts – providing a one-stop shop for thought leadership, innovation, research, and guidance for the burgeoning digital video industry.
Peter Naylor, Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales at Hulu, has been selected to head the Digital Video Center of Excellence Board of Directors, directing the organization’s inaugural agenda. Previously, Naylor served as the Chairman of the IAB Board of Directors.
“The Mobile Center has been one of IAB’s great success stories, and we have long envisioned replicating that success in video,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB. “We look forward to seeing Anna Bager match the work she did in giving birth to it, as she shepherds the new IAB Digital Video Center of Excellence into being, armed with the insights and expertise that comes with having Peter Naylor heading up the board.”
“Digital video is only in its infancy, and yet the combination of sight, sound and motion has already taken the interactive marketplace by storm,” said Naylor. “The broader ecosystem needs a central organization that will be able to steer the digital video movement on a pathway towards even more expansion, and inspire greater commitment from marketers to both the video medium, as well as cross-screen campaigns.”
“The last IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report saw digital video garnering double-digit growth year-over-year – a testament to video’s capacity to reach consumers,” said Bager. “Brands recognize that digital video has the power to not only connect with people, but truly move them as well. This bodes well for digital video becoming a critical part of the interactive marketing mix. However, in order to ensure its future, we need to coalesce around standards, conduct in-depth research, and examine what works and why in digital video advertising – all of which are part of the plan for the Video Center.”
The Digital Video Center of Excellence will be based in the IAB’s New York headquarters, at 116 East 27 Street. For more information or to learn how to become a member, please email digitalvideocenter@iab.net.
