AOL Wins Verizon Ad Deal

April 14, 2008

Verizon has selected AOL's Platform-A as a major advertising provider of its online and Mobile Web properties. Verizon will leverage Platform-A’s sales force, along with its comprehensive range of ad-serving, targeting, and inventory management capabilities for display, mobile and video advertising services. Platform-A’s will drive the management and monetization of Verizon’s online and mobile advertising.

Under the terms of the agreement, Verizon will leverage Platform-A’s sales capabilities for all of Verizon’s online inventory and a majority of Verizon’s mobile inventory. In addition, Platform-A will be the only sales organization that can represent Verizon’s inventory in the marketplace and guarantee placement within the Verizon network. All other sales partners are selling on a blind-network basis.

Verizon will continue to use Platform-A’s mobile ad serving platform, Third Screen Media, to manage the sale of its mobile web advertising. Third Screen Media’s advanced mobile advertising options include geographic, demographic, and content targeting, display, and sponsorship opportunities on Verizon Wireless’ portal, sections and article Web pages. The Verizon ad network is available to brands and agencies wishing to buy advertising on Verizon Wireless Mobile Web pages.

“We’re pleased to have the opportunity to work with a great partner like Verizon to manage and monetize their online and mobile advertising inventory,” said Lynda Clarizio, president of Platform-A. “More wireless customers choose the Verizon brand than any other, and Verizon has the fastest-growing fiber optic Internet service in the country, and we look forward to helping marketers reach the right people in engaging and measurable ways.”

“Verizon Communications stands committed to providing its subscribers with the most relevant, innovative and content-rich experience whether through the Internet, or through a mobile handset,” said John Harrobin, senior vice president of digital media and marketing, Verizon. “We felt that Platform-A’s combination of advertising assets allowed us to take advantage of the industry’s best publisher solutions to maintain this commitment, while providing the greatest overall value for our inventory. We have been working with Platform-A’s mobile ad serving platform, Third Screen Media, for more than a year now, and they have done a great job connecting large brand advertisers with our mobile network and educating the industry about mobile marketing.”

Verizon has a growing base of millions of Verizon Internet and Verizon Wireless subscribers. The Verizon Online network includes the new FiOS Internet services, which Computerworld Magazine rated as the No. 1 ISP in a recent survey. In 2007, Verizon Wireless topped the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) survey for the fourth consecutive year.