Here’s a friendly suggestion for the execs at AOL. Lay off the jargon and industry gobbledygook when you announce a change that’s supposed to clarify what your business is all about. The release this morning about the rebranding of the Advertising.com Group — making it AOL Networks — is a case in point. We’re talking about the operation with ad sales business Advertising.com, video site AOL On Network, and other ad services including goviral, ADTECH, and Pictela. So the AOL Networks name is more all-encompassing than Advertising.com Group? I think so. But someone at the company apparently wanted the explanation to sound more, well, pompous. The release says the new AOL Networks name “should help all stakeholders better understand the rich stack of assets and robust technology it brings together” and ”clearly represents the recognized cross-screen offerings across premium, programatic and performance advertising.”
Got it? No? Perhaps the quotation from AOL Networks CEO Ned Brody can help: “AOL Networks will continue to offer global advertising solutions that help increase yield through a rich and broad set of platforms, formats, and technologies….AOL is synonymous with premium. And in the network space, there is a real need for premium experiences. With our established leadership in video, performance and now programmatic, plus AOL’s foothold in premium advertising, we are better positioned than ever to define and own a transcending solution.” Well, who wouldn’t want to own a transcending solution? But I’m still lost. Perhaps CMO Allie Kline can do better: “Given the synergies between our offerings and customers, and those of our AOL parent, it made the most sense to align the brands more closely together. I believe this rebrand will significantly increase market clarity among our key audiences including marketers and publishers.” OK, I give up.
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