In a move to expand display-ad sales, AOL on Tuesday named Greg Coleman president of its Platform A advertising unit. Coleman brings more than 25 years of sales and media experience to the industry’s largest online advertising platform.
According to AOL Chairman and CEO Randy Falco, Coleman is perfectly suited to build on Platform A’s foundation and drive branded display sales across AOL’s MediaGlow programming network.
“Greg’s a seasoned sales pro who understands that online brand building is the next frontier in digital advertising, and that whoever can deliver marketers measurably improved branding online will be positioned for long-term success,” Falco said. “I’m confident Greg will help us create branding solutions that leverage the strong success of MediaGlow and the upcoming launches at People Networks.”
Ready To Grow
Coleman said he thought hard about jumping back into the media and sales world before accepting AOL’s offer. He said he was drawn by Platform A’s ability to deliver what advertisers need most — productive, efficient and measurable ways to reach increasingly fragmented audiences with brand messages.
“Platform A’s reach, combined with the incredible growth of AOL’s MediaGlow and the potential of its social-media business, gives us a strong platform for advertisers to build brands that really perform online,” said Coleman, who replaces Lynda Clarizio.
Clarizio was formerly the president of Advertising.com and led the integration of Platform A. She oversaw the consolidation of the seven companies that make up Platform A into a single organization that includes sales, technology, publisher services, and research and development. Platform A expanded overseas into nine countries in the past year.
A Promising Past
Before signing on with Platform A, Coleman served as president and CEO of NetSeer, a start-up company focused on next-generation search and ad targeting. Before that, he was executive vice president of global sales at Yahoo, where he was responsible…