Aegis: Half Of All Media Digital By '07, Consolidates Interactive Operations

Projecting that "50 percent of all media will be digital by 2007," Aegis Group plc, the biggest pure play media holding company in the business, has quietly consolidated all of its interactive media operations into a new global digital media network, the company disclosed during a first half earnings report Tuesday morning.

The new network, dubbed Isobar, was formed in July and currently operates in 19 countries with interactive media billings in excess of $500 million, making it one of the world's largest digital media buying networks.

"With large marketers fuelling demand for interactive services the market is seeing growth in excess of 20% per annum and it is anticipated that Isobar will grow to become a significant part of the Group's media operation over the next three years," stated Aegis in its first half report.

Aegis, whose biggest media brand is Carat, did not detail the organizational structure of Isobar, but it presumably includes Carat Interactive, the fast-growing unit of Carat North America, which is headed by Sarah Fay. Significantly, the unit is as focused with the development of new interactive media technologies, especially enhanced TV applications, as it is with online media. Recently, Carat Interactive Senior Vice President-Media Futures Mitch Oscar, helped organize a major new initiative in that area under the auspices of the Association of National Advertisers that will implement a wide variety of interactive TV tests including addressable TV advertising, as well as video-on-demand trials.

"The growth of digital channels in particular provides greater targeting ability for marketers, with endless possibilities for communicating with consumers on a one-to-one basis," stated Aegis, alluding that its operations are "at the cutting edge of providing marketers with a deep understanding of how to connect with consumers; understanding their psychology and ultimately the reasons why they select one product in preference to another; and in providing expert advice on how to build and maintain lasting client relationships."

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