IPG Hires Tim Hanlon for Ventures Group

Interpublic Group is pressing ahead with plans to enmesh itself in the world of technology startups with a new ventures unit. The holding company has recruited former Denuo and Starcom MediaVest Group executive Tim Hanlon as its point person for bridging the gap between Madison Avenue and Silicon Valley, according to sources. Hanlon will work in Mediabrands Ventures, the unit set up in January under Matt Freeman to house 16 specialty digital marketing companies like search firm Reprise Media, digital ad trading desk Cadreon and mobile shop Ansible.IPG plans to disclose the specifics of Hanlon's role and Mediabrands activities in the startup sector shortly. Freeman confirmed Hanlon's hire but declined to give further details. The holding company is putting a renewed emphasis on emerging media. Earlier this month it named Universal McCann exec Brian Monahan evp and managing director of its Media Lab, which specializes in new technology. IPG also operates Greenhaus, a program that helps young technology companies learn the ins and outs of the marketing business. IPG has in the past dabbled in the ventures business. It took small stakes in Facebook and Spot Runner in 2006. It set up the Futures Marketing Group in 2007 under Bant Breen with the charge of managing investments in emerging media. That unit was dismantled with the creation of Mediabrands. The Mediabrands ventures unit will likely follow the path of Denuo, the Publicis Groupe division that takes stakes in startup tech companies in exchange for advice and help in developing advertising businesses. The strategy is based on the notion that startups building consumer Web services or ad technologies lack the deep knowledge of the ad world -- and access to big media budgets -- that agency groups possess. Rather than invest capital, Denuo has provided advisory services in exchange for stakes. That approach runs counter to the one employed by WPP Digital, which has invested in several companies. In some cases, like Omniture, WPP has seen solid returns. Others, such as Spot Runner, have fizzled. The question remains whether agency groups can effectively manage a portfolio when it lies outside their core business of providing strategy and services to clients. Josh Stylman, a former managing partner at Reprise Media, said that despite the danger that venture efforts could become neglected side projects, they do have the promise of keeping ad companies ahead of new developments. "The thing agencies want to do is keep up with the latest and greatest in technology," he said. "The currency they have is media spend." Hanlon served as head of ventures at Denuo and then transitioned to the same role when the practice was rechristened VivaKi Ventures. He left Publicis in May to join Catalyst S+F, a digital strategy shop that also specializes in helping startups hone their ad offerings. At the time, Hanlon was tasked with opening Catalyst S+F's Chicago office, but he left the shop after just three months. Prior to joining Denuo at its inception in 2005, he was director of emerging contacts at Starcom MediaVest Group.

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IPG Hires Tim Hanlon for Ventures Group

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