Execs and Accounts for October 16, 2002

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has created newsletter and email committees. The trade organization said the aim of the committees is to focus attention and develop standards for these two marketing vehicles.

The newsletter committee will be chaired by TechTarget CEO Greg Strakosch, and the email committee will be led by NetCreations President and CEO Michael Mayor. In addition to identifying issues particular to email and newsletters, the committees will draw on industry research and case studies.

Additionally, the email committee wil1 spearhead a privacy validation initiative for publishers and list users. This effort will accredit those in compliance with IAB privacy guidelines while pushing email standards and privacy rules.

“The IAB wants to be ahead of the curve in setting best practices and standards,” said Adam Gelles, the IAB’s director of industry initiatives. “The focus and growth in newsletter and email marketing means we need to turn our attention and the industry’s attention to these important areas.”

Interactive marketing agency Sharpe Partners has hired Bill Hewson as a director of client strategy. Hewson spent the last six years at Modem Media, where he was most recently the U.S. client lead for Philips Electronics. He was also responsible for client engagements with AT&T Business Services, AT&T Wireless, Delta Air Lines , and Alamo Rent-A-Car. Prior to Modem Media, Hewson was associate VP of advertising for Prudential Securities.

The position is a newly created one, resulting from a growth of new business from the company’s Minute Maid, Fujifilm Digital, and Aramark accounts. Hewson’s primary responsibility will be the Aramark account.

Digital marketer Byte Interactive has launched a follow-up to the “Preferred Stock Cologne Challenge” campaign it created last year for fragrance manufacturer Coty Beauty. Called “The Next Challenge,” the campaign invites consumers to log on to the Preferred Stock brand Web site to submit their entry and vote for their “Preferred Man.”

Using the Internet as the hub, the effort incorporates several marketing components, including print advertising, strategic partnerships and public relations. It closely follows last year’s campaign, which also used an integrated marketing effort to find the nation’s “Preferred Stock Man of the Year.”

“Our work with the Preferred Stock brand is proof that when done right, integrated marketing works,” said Michael LeBeau, founder and CEO of Byte Interactive. “We were able to take the knowledge we gained from customers during the last campaign and create a follow-up campaign centered on the Web that speaks to the consumers’ lifestyle in relevant terms.”

Winstar Interactive Media has named Matt McGuire its new vice president of sales for the West Coast. McGuire has been with Winstar Interactive Media since June 2000 as an account manager, working in the Dallas area office. Prior to that, he held account executive positions with Total Sports and Beckett Publications.

McGuire will remain in Dallas to run Winstar’s West Coast sales operation. He replaces Tim Moynihan, who was hired by Google.

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