Execs and Accounts for November 22, 2002

Online direct marketing and database management company Traffix has experienced a management shake-up.

Andrew Stollman, the firm’s chief operating officer, has been appointed president, replacing Eric Aroesty, who resigned to pursue other opportunities. Aroesty has also relinquished his seat on the board of directors, reducing the number of board members from seven to six.

Stollman has been with the company since 1993, and has held positions including executive VP and director. He also has a seat on the board and is a major Traffix shareholder. Richard Wentworth, previously the VP of data operations, will take over the COO post.

boede&partners, an integrated marketing firm, has promoted Creative Director Ted Tsandes to partner. Since he joined the company in early 2002, Tsandes has handled work for clients Unisys, Microsoft, Ingenix and ClearOne. Prior to joining boede&partners, he served as associate creative director at Euro RSCG DSW Partners and senior copywriter at Campbell LaCoste.

“As a partner, Ted will bring to the entire agency the exceptional leadership skills he’s demonstrated as creative director,” said David Boede, boede&partners’ president.

BabyZone.com has tapped Choice Media, an online advertising sales company, for ad representation. The agreement broadens Choice Media’s reach, allowing its advertisers to target the approximately 750,000 parents who visit the BabyZone site every month.

“Signing a major parenting site such as BabyZone as our first non-health Web property is very exciting for us,” said Ash Nashed, president, chief executive and co-founder of Choice Media. “We feel this agreement will allow us to bring additional, quality advertisers to BabyZone and across our Network of properties.”

Marketers can choose to advertise across the BabyZone site, which includes original features, calendar and journal applications, and localized BabyZone sites in 85 markets. BabyZone also provides its content and technology to partners such as iWon.com, Excite and NYPost.com, creating added opportunities for Choice Media’s clients.

Jumpstart Digital Marketing has teamed with NADAguides.com, a site it represents for ad sales, to develop a new tool to help automakers market more effectively online.

Jumpstart will launch the “Side-by-Side Comparison Conquest Tool,” an advertising program that enables auto makers to instantly present online car shoppers with a third option while they are comparing two competitive models. Buyers visiting NADAguides.com are presented with information (including a link back to the auto maker’s Web site) about a third model in the same price and options class as the two models they are comparing at that moment.

“With the vast majority of car buyers going online to research and compare models, it is essential that automakers optimize their chances of being included in any comparison a potential buyer makes during this critical research phase. With the ‘Side-by-Side Comparison Conquest Tool’ automakers are assured of having a presence at a moment when browsers are turning into buyers,” said Mitch Lowe, CEO of Jumpstart.

Online direct marketer CoolSavings has named Charles Kingery senior VP of sales. Kingery most recently served as EVP and general manager of customer marketing for Information Resources, prior to which he spent 20 years with Kraft/General Foods in various sales and marketing management roles.

MethodMail, a division of RareMethod, has won an email marketing assignment from Travel Alberta. MethodMail will develop the strategy and deployment of an email campaign aimed at attracting Canadians and U.S. residents to vacation in Alberta.

“We are developing an online email campaign through Travel Alberta’s Web site that allows us to learn more about its visitors’ summer travel plans and interests in Alberta,” said Keith Dundas, VP of marketing at MethodMail. “Travel Alberta will use this visitor information to help in the development of its spring and summer marketing campaigns.”

To encourage visitor participation, the campaign is offering two ski vacation packages to selected Alberta ski resorts.

For more breaking news on account action and executive moves, visit ChannelSeven.com.