MUMBAI: Viacom recently announced a realignment of its Viacom Media Networks Music and Entertainment ad sales group to merge its television, digital and mobile teams into a single convergent sales organisation.
The convergent team will handle all sales and integrated marketing for linear and digital assets across CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Logo, Spike TV, TV Land and VH1.
“The lines among television, online and mobile aren’t just blurring – they’ve been erased in terms of how our audiences consume and experience content,” said Music and Entertainment head of sales Jeff Lucas. “For a client-centric organisation like ours, a convergent structure will keep us on the leading edge of marketing innovation and ensure that we continue to create value for advertisers and audiences alike.”
Under the new structure, the music and entertainment team’s former senior VPs of digital ad sales will take on new leadership roles. Melanie Dimemmo will serve as senior VP of digital video sales, focusing on video deals across the music and entertainment portfolio. She will report dually to Neil Holt and Sean Moran, executive VPs of Ad Sales.
Sarah Iooss will serve as senior VP of partnerships and client strategy, a role in which she’ll be responsible for identifying partnerships with content and platform technology companies. Sarah will report to Elizabeth Herbst-Brady, executive VP of ad sales strategy.
Sharon Silverstein will serve as senior VP of Multiplatform Studio ad sales leading the convergent team focused on the company’s studio clients out of Los Angeles. Silverstein will continue to report to Steve Agase, senior VP of ad sales, West Coast.
Additionally, under the new convergent structure, all sales team senior vice presidents and vice presidents will assume responsibility for linear and digital business. Both linear and digital account executives will report into the same convergent leadership.