International: AOL CEO Randy Falco: Microsoft-Yahoo a Mistake
PHOENIX (AdAge.com) -- AOL CEO Randy Falco thinks a potential merger between Microsoft and Yahoo to compete with Google is all about search -- and a mistake. But he's happy to watch the spectacle.

PHOENIX (AdAge.com) -- AOL CEO Randy Falco thinks a potential merger between Microsoft and Yahoo to compete with Google is all about search -- and a mistake. But he's happy to watch the spectacle.
"I'm hoping the two of them will beat each others brains out over search and leave the display market to us," he told the 400 attendees here at the Interactive Advertising Bureau's annual conference. "I think it's a mistake. But I think Napoleon said never interrupt your enemy when they're in the middle of making a mistake."
A warning
The normally reserved Mr. Falco spewed a bit of fire and brimstone when he spoke of his competitors. "We have Platform A, the largest ad network in the world," he said, rattling off statistics such as the 3 billion ad impressions AOL's networks collectively serve a day. "Microsoft and Google can ignore us and leave us off of charts if they want, but they do that at their own peril."
He was referencing a chart used in a presentation yesterday by Microsoft's Brian McAndrews that illustrated how the digital ecosystem looks to Microsoft and where all of Microsoft's competitors fit into it. AOL didn't show up on the chart, although its Advertising.com division did. Mr. McAndrews also told the audience the two companies that could offer publishers the full ecosystem were Microsoft and Google, which didn't sit well with Mr. Falco.
"Technology is an enabler, but we're still in the media and marketing business," he said.
AOL is not all that interested in creating an ad exchange, Mr. Falco said, believing it's not necessary and can commoditize inventory, a concern of publishers. Mobile, however, is an area of continued investment, even though it has moved slower in the U.S. "We have to get into the game a little quicker," he said.
Mr. Falco, a self-described digital immigrant, addressed his former medium, TV: "You sit back and wonder 'Why can't these guys get out of their own way?' [Because] they have all these legacy models and partnerships and its difficult for them to get past them. But at some point they'll come to realize they have no growth. ... Generally speaking that'll bring about the change they so desperately need."
AOL's fate within Time Warner
He also responded to a question about AOL's place and future within Time Warner by saying he doesn't spend a lot of time thinking about it.
"We spent with the help of Time Warner about a billion dollars to acquire [Quigo, Tacoda, Third Screen Media and AdTech] over the past year," he said. "[Time Warner CEO] Jeff Bewkes understands if we can turn around AOL, that's going to be a major home run for the portfolio Time Warner has. The question is, can we do it? ... The extent that we can prove our case that AOL still has legs and it's making the kinds of investments and changes critical to move forward in rapidly dynamic changing marketplace, then our relationship with Time Warner will be just fine."
There continues to be hope, apparently, that Time Warner's various assets share some sort of synergy. Mr. Falco, who drew laughs when he said the AOL-Time Warner merger "didn't really go that well," said that "there's still a hangover around that and some mistrust and distrust that goes on among divisions. I'm trying very hard ... [and] I think we're making progress there. It's kind of silly that the Time Inc. assets and Time Warner Cable and AOL aren't completely together in the way they do business."
Source: AdAge.com
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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