Millennial Media To Handle Portion of Verizon's On-Deck Ads

Verizon Wireless signed with Millennial Media to sell and serve a large portion of Verizon’s banner and text ad inventory reaching the carrier’s on-deck users. Verizon’s remaining inventory will be sold by its own and other sales channels.

To address different advertiser goals, Millennial Media will offer inventory across two of its networks. Its premium content network, MBrand, delivers targeted audiences, while Decktrade better serves performance-driven campaigns.

“For Verizon, they have access to the two different pools of demand with the one partner. This is important in achieving a mix…for the inventory,” said Paul Palmieri, president and CEO of Millennial Media.

Both MBrand and DeckTrade primarily offer banner and text link ad units. Inventory will be sold by Millennial’s sales force as well as through the company’s self service system.

Millennial views the opportunity with Verizon as significant, believing on-deck browsing activity represents more valuable ad impressions. “By partnering with someone like Verizon, it allows us to get those impressions at the beginning of the user session,” Palmieri said.

The headline of this story has been changed. An earlier incorrectly stated Millennial will handle the majority of Verizon’s on-deck ads.