Heading the strategic agency team is Stephen Haines, who joins from Viacom Outdoor where he was agency sales manager. He is joined by Richard Stokes, a former group account manager from Initiative Media, who takes the role of head of sales planning within the planning and strategy team. His team includes planners from ZenithOptimedia, Universal McCann, OMD and Initiative.
The strategic agency team was developed after a consultation by media expert Chris Marston, who was previously sales director at the Daily Star.
Alison Reay, national sales director of Yahoo! UK & Ireland, said: "We want our own sales operation to reflect that of traditional media companies by inputting our own strategists into the planning process, especially as we know that online is becoming increasingly important and effective for wider brand campaigns, in addition to traditional direct response."
Yahoo! said that in 2003, 62 of the top 100 advertisers booked on the site, compared with 40 in 2002.
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