Execs & Accounts: Vibrant Media, Underdog Media, FRWD
Irvine moves to Vibrant; Hirsch backs Underdog, FRWD snatches BrandinHand.
Contextual ad network Vibrant Media has named Cella Irvine as CEO. Irvine hails from About Group, where she was CEO at The New York Times Company-owned informational network. She will help expand Vibrant’s ad offerings and international reach.
Ex-AudienceScience president and CEO Jeff Hirsch will head Underdog Media. In August, Hirsch said he would leave the behavioral targeting firm to “pursue smaller entrepreneurial interests.” He plans to expand operations and build market share for Underdog, an online marketing firm established in 2008.
Digital marketing company FRWD has acquired mobile agency BrandinHand. BrandinHand founder and CEO John Hadl will become partner emeritus at FRWD. The mobile firm, acquired for cash and stock, has developed mobile campaigns for American Express, Best Buy, Coca-Cola, and Procter & Gamble.
AJ Johnson has been named director of innovation technology at BrainJuicer Group. Formerly VP of the Ipsos Open Thinking Exchange where he focused on mobile research, Johnson will serve with BrainJuicer’s research and development arm to develop mobile tools and technologies.
Mark Curtis crossed back to Fjord. Curtis, who co-founded the digital design consulting firm in 2001, was most recently with Flirtomatic, an offshoot of Fjord. Now he’ll return as chief client officer at Fjord where he’ll guide sales, marketing, and strategy.
