Incoming CEO David Yovanno says Marin Software has unfulfilled potential to support execution of display media buys alongside search, and he wants to help it get there.
“In search, which represents roughly 50% of total online marketing spend, Marin Software is a leader,” he said. “As the company grows, there’s an opportunity to leverage this strong presence in search to drive a leadership position in other marketing channels such as display. I believe I can help achieve this.”
Marin hired Yovanno from display and affiliate marketing company Conversant (née ValueClick), where he served EVP. He replaces founder Chris Lien, who will serve as executive chairman.
Yovanno, who has almost 20 years in advertising technology, put in more than 11 years at Conversant – with a two-year interlude as CEO of Gigya.
Marin, which has been publicly traded since March 2013, describes itself as a “revenue acquisition platform” that incorporates work flow, analytics and optimization tools for marketers, with customers ranging from security software platform Symantec to Vistaprint. Mostly the company supports bidding on search ads, and along with Kenshoo is considered a leader in that world.
So how does Yovanno aim to get more display ad spend moving through the Marin platform?
“Foremost, it’s bringing what Marin Software does well to display,” he said. “Search brings to the table the most valuable data set: intent-based search data. Applying this rich data to display, which Marin Software is very good at already, is paramount. Additionally, expanding the campaign-management functionality for display will also be key.”
The CEO news overlaps with the company’s first-quarter 2014 financial results this week. Its net revenues grew 33% year over year to $22.8 million, marking the strongest growth acceleration since Q4 2012.
