MTVN Forms Digital Fusion

NEW YORK MTV Networks has once again tinkered with its ad sales structure as it addresses its expanding collection of digital assets. The Viacom company has formed Digital Fusion, a group that will fashion customized cross-media campaigns for advertisers—many of which will utilize original content created by the company’s various networks.

Jason Witt, who was most recently svp, online distribution and partnerships, MTVN global digital media, has been tapped to head Digital Fusion. As the unit’s inaugural svp and general manager, he will report to Nada Stirratt, MTVN’s evp, digital advertising.

Officials said Digital Fusion would specialize in creating new digital ad products and focus on helping brands leverage emerging online media segments like social networking, widgets, gaming and virtual worlds. The group will produce ad packages that feature inventory across all of the company’s Web properties, with an emphasis on offering non-standard, highly customized features—an area where MTVN excels, said officials.

“Our marketing partners want solutions that take full advantage of our greatest strength, creating innovative and engaging content,” said Stirratt. “Digital Fusion will empower marketers to further tap into our iconic brands, and access customized digital marketing solutions with the same ingenuity and inventiveness as our music, entertainment, comedy and pop culture content.”

The launch of Digital Fusion comes at the end of a year of much change for MTVN’s ad sales operations. Early in 2007 the company reorganized its sales teams around specific demographics rather than individual networks. And just a few months ago, the former cross-platform sales group, known as Brand Solutions, was eliminated.