• Viacom Bulks Up Data Team With New Executives

    Viacom announced that it has added 3 new executives to its Viacom Vantage data-driven ad product, which was itself announced in late April. Joining Viacom are Bryson Gordon as SVP of Data Strategy, Gabe Bevilacqua as VP of Product Management and Kodi Foster as VP of Data Strategy. Together they’ll oversee development of new data products to micro-target viewers which are overseen by Kern Schireson, EVP of Data Strategy and Consumer Intelligence for Viacom Media Networks.

    Gordon was previously at Microsoft for ten years, most recently with Surface where he oversaw audience marketing. Bevilacqua was most recently COO at Rallyverse, a content marketing platform he co-founded and previously spent six years at Microsoft with the Atlas Advertiser Suite. Foster was previously at Outbrain overseeing strategic account solutions for Fortune 100 brands.

    Viacom Vantage, which had been available for a year prior to its formal unveiling, improves targeting of specific viewers using predictive modeling based on Viacom’s first-party data and syndicated/proprietary research. The goal is to go beyond typical age/demographic profiling to include other attitudinal and behavioral profiles.

    Viacom Vantage is an example of how traditional TV networks are trying to make ad-buying more programmatic by leveraging extensive use of data.  The result is improved targeting and ROI for advertisers.