IAB Launches Data Center of Excellence to Ensure ‘Big Data’ Meets Its Promise for Marketers and Commitments to Consumers

MediaMath CEO Joe Zawadzki Named Chairman of the Data Center’s
Board of Directors

PALM DESERT, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)
today announced the launch of the IAB
Data Center of Excellence, a new independently funded unit within
IAB, founded to expand existing IAB resources and drive the “data
agenda” for the digital media, marketing, and advertising industry. The
Data Center’s mission will be to help advertisers and marketers
operationalize their data assets while maintaining quality,
transparency, accountability, and consumer protection.

The new Data Center will fund industry research projects, provide
benchmarks, create actionable insights on data management across
platforms, host data-focused events, and develop industry best
practices, guidelines, and standards for privacy, data security, and
consumer data protection. It will produce educational materials
including certification, videos, and webinars.

“Today, data management is both a reality and a challenge for
advertisers and marketers,” said Patrick Dolan, Executive Vice President
and COO, IAB. “This poses a great opportunity for the new IAB Data
Center of Excellence to address key issues, influence the agenda, and
set the standards for organizations looking to embrace the power of
data.”

Joe Zawadzki, CEO of MediaMath, has been selected to head the Data
Center of Excellence Board of Directors, leading the organization’s
inaugural agenda.

“Given the pace at which new technology is being adopted and the power
of ‘big data’ acknowledged in the value it can create for brands,
publishers, and consumers, it was time to come together as an industry,”
said Zawadzki. “The IAB Data Center of Excellence will help define best
practices, articulate standards, and collaboratively shape the data
ecosystem with the consumer, the globe, and the future in mind.”

Acxiom, Conversant Media, Experian, Integral Ad Science, LiveIntent,
Oracle Data Cloud, and The Weather Company have committed to being
founding members of the Data Center and will shortly assign
representatives from their respective companies to be part of the
organization’s Board of Directors. The Data Center welcomes industry
thought leaders from technology and data service providers, DSPs, SSPs,
exchanges, publishers, retailers, verification services, research
groups, attribution companies, and other interested parties.

The Data Center of Excellence will be based at the IAB’s New York
headquarters at 116 East 27 Street. For more information, or to learn
about becoming a member, please visit www.iab.com/datacenter.

About IAB

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)
empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital
economy. It is comprised of more than 650 leading media and technology
companies that are responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing
digital advertising or marketing campaigns. Together, they account for
86 percent of online advertising in the United States. Working with its
member companies, IAB develops technical standards and best practices
and fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also
educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the
importance of digital marketing. The organization is committed to
professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise,
and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of
its public policy office in Washington, D.C., IAB advocates for its
members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry
to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered
in New York City and has a West Coast office in San Francisco.

Contacts

IAB Media
Laura Goldberg, 347-683-1859
laura.goldberg@iab.com