Buying TV in a Digital World
SESSION SPEAKERS
Jack is the Chief Product Officer at Simulmedia. One of world’s leading digital advertising visionaries, Jack was the founder of Solariat, a venture backed company that uses artificial intelligence for social media marketing and analysis. Previously, Jack founded and ran The MIG (now Xaxis) for WPP Group, the world’s largest communications services company. At The MIG, he created ZAP & B3 to help agencies and advertisers improve the process of planning, buying, trafficking and optimizing digital media advertising campaigns. Prior to The MIG, Jack was SVP, Product Strategy at 24/7 Real Media, a leading provider of digital advertising technologies and services and now a unit of WPP.
Jack is also a veteran of The Hearst Corporation, where he was Director of Operations for the WISN Division responsible for the operation of two radio stations. He serves on the National Advisory Board of the University of Kentucky College of Communications and Information Studies. He lives in New York with his wife, two daughters and large hound dog.
Robert John Davis is an interactive media veteran in his 16th year of championing progressive new experiences and leading them to market. Currently in the role of Worldwide Marketing Director, Digital at Ogilvy, Rob is leading the agency’s Digital Video Practice and transforming the way clients use video on the web. Rob’s fresh look at the online landscape opens new opportunities for brands looking to go beyond the “viral” or “social” spaces. Opening up new territory in the broadband space is a joy for Rob, who began working with interactive video in the decidedly narrow-band era of the early 1990’s. After running the creative side of IN Jersey, a pioneering ISP and content service sold to Gannett, Rob went on to launch the world’s first mass-audience interactive TV game show, MTV’s 1999 hit webRIOT, which pioneered "2 screen" iTV. As Executive Producer of Convergence for MTV Networks, Rob put interactivity at the forefront of the VH1, MTV and Nickelodeon brands. He later launched iTV shows on NBC, TBS, History Channel and GSN. More recently as VP of the digital media operations at Rainbow Media, Rob revitalized the interactive businesses of the AMC, IFC and WE television networks, transitioning them from static web sites to dynamic content experiences. One of the first television executives to standardize on Flash as a video format, Rob also lead the trend to co-managing VOD and web video distribution, culminating in the design of a universal video business management platform. Rob initiated Rainbow’s interactive advertising business and opened three e-commerce stores. Among Rob’s portfolio from Rainbow are branded entertainment web sites and communities created for sponsors including Target, Acura, Aquafina, Heineken and Yellow Tail. Over the years, Rob has consulted for Gartner, Princeton Video Image and other forward-looking clients. After completing his BA at the University of Scranton in 1990, Rob earned an MS in TV/Radio/Film from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University in 1993 and was later inducted into the alumni professional gallery “wall of fame” for his achievements in interactive entertainment. Rob lives on the northern Jersey Shore with his wife, son, two boxers and cockatiel. He is an avid railroad photographer and spends much of his free time trackside seeking old or interesting trains… that is, when there isn’t enough snow for snowboarding.
