In their new roles, Ackad and Schaeffer will be responsible for leading the growth of the Long Form division out of the agency’s Santa Monica headquarters.

Ackad formerly served as Vice President of Client Services in the Long Form division, where she closely managed client media campaigns and advised all aspects of her team’s direct marketing efforts in order to maximize performance. Schaeffer, a 20-year veteran of direct response advertising, formerly served as Vice President of Media in the Long Form division. Under Joel’s strategic leadership, Mercury Media owns and manages some of the largest broadcast, cable, satellite, Spanish and Canadian paid programming schedules in the current media landscape.

“I’m thrilled to announce the promotions of Olga Ackad and Joel Schaeffer, both of whom have been instrumental in positioning our Long Form division as an industry leader,” said John Barnes, CEO of Mercury Media. “Their commitment and dedication to the success of Mercury Media has been exemplary, and I’m confident that their leadership, enthusiasm and creativity will lead to the continued growth of our Long Form business.”

“I look forward to leading Mercury Media’s Long Form division during this exciting time,” said Ackad.  “There is great potential in Long Form, as it continues to be one of the most powerful-selling media platforms and an ideal way to tell a brand’s story, educate the consumer, and generate response.”

“As Mercury Media continues to grow, I’m proud to lead a team of enthusiastic and strategic-minded professionals and look forward to successfully growing our clients’ business in the evolving DR marketplace,” said Schaeffer. “I’m committed to furthering Mercury’s reputation as a leader in the direct response arena and identifying new areas of opportunity and development.”

In her new role, Pomponi will be responsible for leading the growth of the short form division out of the Philadelphia office. Kearney will oversee the Client Services department, with a focus on client management, program analysis and development.

Pomponi, a 22-year veteran of direct response media buying and management, succeeds Maria B. Eden, who has decided to play less of a day-to-day role as Mercury Media’s Senior Vice President of the Short Form division, and instead will serve in a consulting capacity for the agency.  Pomponi and Kearney, both of whom worked for Eden, call her departure “bittersweet” and credit her with mentoring their growth and success at the agency.

“I am thrilled to announce the promotions of Gina Pomponi and Nikki Kearney. They have been driving forces behind the success of Mercury Media’s Short Form business and will continue to take our agency to new heights,” said John Barnes, CEO of Mercury Media. “ We will all miss Maria for she has been a valued member of the Mercury team. At the same time, we are excited to have Gina and Nikki taking charge.  They are incredible talents who greatly deserve these well earned promotions.”

“We are excited to be given this opportunity and look forward to the challenges that will come with growing the Short Form DRTV division,” said Pomponi and Kearney. “In the ever-evolving world of media, an agency must have the foresight and ability to evolve along with the industry, and we feel that is what sets Mercury Media apart.”

Pomponi formerly served as Mercury’s Vice President, Director of Media and Kearney served as Senior Director of Program Development. In 2010, both women joined the Mercury Media team to open the Philadelphia office and oversee the growth of the short form DRTV department.

“Mercury Media’s priority is to drive revenue growth for our clients through results-driven media and superior service,” said John Barnes, CEO of Mercury Media.  “The addition of iMarketing provides Mercury with a full suite of digital services as well as a robust data analytics platform that will enable Mercury to provide our clients with superior insight and results.  We are incredibly excited about the addition of iMarketing as it puts us in an ideal position to take advantage of the ongoing convergence of television and digital media.”

iMarketing specializes in search marketing, online media planning and buying, affiliate marketing, social media, mobile marketing, creative and web development, research and analytics technology.  iMarketing generates more than $30 million of billings annually, providing customer acquisition solutions to clients such as Dow Jones, eDiets, Hoveround, Premier Care, Barclays, Yahoo!, Deal Chicken, and American Express Publishing.  The company has been in business for almost 15 years and has established an impressive record of success across a wide range of product and service categories.

“Joining forces with Mercury Media was an easy decision for us.  We’ve partnered with them in the past and we share a lot of the same values,” said Keith Kochberg, CEO of iMarketing.  “Like Mercury, we are committed to providing a high level of customer service and working hard to maximize the performance of our client’s campaigns.  Together, we can provide our clients with integrated solutions to advance their businesses and take advantage of the rapidly changing media environment which will be driven by vast amounts of data, and a convergence of television, online and mobile services.”

Mercury can now provide its clients with integrated online and offline services, cross-platform optimization, platform agnostic solutions, integrated planning, consolidated reporting – all from a single source.  The company will service clients across the country with offices in California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.

“Mercury Media and iMarketing have represented Hoveround as respective TV and Online Agencies of Record for years, so I have witnessed firsthand the true expertise of each company,” said Jeff Hilton, Vice President of Marketing for Hoveround Corporation.  “Their combination of strong offline and online buying power, a mutual belief in the importance of driving results, and the best customer service in the business are a great fit for companies like ours. Hoveround has been ‘test driving’ this merger for years and we are excited to grow with Mercury Media.”

About Mercury Media:

Mercury Media is the largest independent, full service direct response media agency in the country, headquartered in Santa Monica, California with offices in Marlboro, Massachusetts and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  The agency was the first in its industry to launch the first full service Hispanic direct response specialty practice, Mercury en Español, in 2009.  Established in 1989, Mercury Media specializes in long form, and short form direct response advertising and is committed to providing its clients with best-in-class measured media solutions across multiple platforms to achieve their strategic objectives and maximize their return on investment.  By leveraging its unparalleled experience in direct response media and cutting edge analytics, the agency develops and executes innovative media campaigns that deliver superior results.  For additional information regarding Mercury Media’s clients, services and expertise please visit:  www.mercurymedia.com.  For original articles, please visit The Mercury Index Blog at www.mercurymedia.wordpress.com.  Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mercurymediadr.

About iMarketing LTD:

iMarketing LTD (www.imarketingltd.com) is a leading full-service online marketing agency delivering measurable results for clients such as Yahoo!, Dow Jones, eDiets, and Hoveround.  iMarketing’s innovative programs enable Fortune 500 and Media Metrix 100 companies to profitably acquire new customers and increase revenues through a wide range of online channels, including search engine marketing, search engine optimization, online media planning & buying, affiliate marketing, social media marketing, creative, web development, research, and technology. With a focus on ROI and proven experience across multiple verticals, iMarketing has earned the trust of many blue chip companies who demand accountability.

“We are very pleased to have Monty on board. He brings with him a tremendous network of contacts and a strong  record of success in landing lead generation and brand direct business,” said John Barnes, President of Mercury Media. “Monty’s unique experience and enthusiasm for the direct response television makes him the perfect candidate to lead our business development efforts in these areas.”

Prior to joining Mercury Media, Montgomery spent the majority of his career with REVShare, television’s largest cost per acquisition network. He joined REVShare as an Account Executive in 2007, quickly rising through the ranks to Director of Advertising Sales in 2008, where he successfully helped REVShare’s digital advertisers break into television, resulting in more than $4 million of new revenue streams for the agency. He was promoted to Vice President of Advertising Sales in 2009, where he increased sales revenues from $12 million to $18 million before joining SalesPortal as Director of  National Sales in 2011. Prior to launching his sales career, Montgomery spent 13 years with the United States Navy as a Combat Corpsman, training more than 3,500 personnel during his tenure.

“Few advertising platforms have proven as successful at lead generation as direct response television,” said Montgomery. “I look forward to the opportunity to bring Mercury Media’s first-class offerings to a broader network of potential clients.” A resident of Seal Beach, CA, Montgomery will operate out of Mercury Media’s Santa Monica, CA headquarters.

Akademos was founded in the summer of 1999, by Brian Jacobs, professor of political philosophy at Cornell University. The company offers a turnkey virtual bookstore and marketplace for colleges and universities — providing savings on textbooks and other course materials to students and control over content and management to the faculty and administrators.

“Due to their extensive experience in online marketing, we believe iMarketing LTD will help further drive awareness of our unique offerings for the higher education marketplace,” said John Squires, Chief Executive Officer of Akademos. “We look forward to enhancing our online marketing efforts through the services provided by iMarketing LTD.”

iMarketing LTD has been selected by Akademos to develop a comprehensive search marketing strategy, including both search engine optimization to maximize search engine indexing and search engine marketing for paid search campaigns. The agency will also guide Akademos in the affiliate channel, fine-tuning the most effective resources and partners, who will drive traffic to Akademos’s websites: http://www.akademos.com/ and http://textbookx.com/.

“We’re pleased to announce our new client Akademos, to our growing roster. We believe in their mission and are excited to get started working on campaigns that will help them achieve success,” said Keith Kochberg, Chief Executive Officer of iMarketing LTD. “We pride ourselves in our ability to partner with our clients, creating a symbiotic relationship, so that we can grow together.”

About iMarketing LTD
iMarketing LTD (www.imarketingltd.com) is a leading full-service online marketing agency delivering measurable results for clients such as Yahoo!, Dow Jones, eDiets, and AARP. iMarketing’s innovative programs enable Fortune 500 and Media Metrix 100 companies to profitably acquire new customers and increase revenues through a wide range of online channels, including search engine marketing, search engine optimization, online media planning & buying, affiliate marketing, social media marketing, creative, web development, research, and technology. With a focus on ROI and proven experience across multiple verticals, iMarketing has earned the trust of many blue chip companies who demand accountability.

###

PR Contact:
Anna Tymczyszyn
iMarketing LTD
609-921-0400 ext. 122
annat@imarketingltd.com

Healthy Directions originated in 1985 as a division of Philips Publishing International, offering natural health-related newsletters from alternative medicine doctors.  In 2004, the business was rebranded and became the #1 direct-to-consumer source of natural health advice and doctor-formulated nutritional products.

“At Healthy Directions, we develop and sell the best, highest-quality nutritional supplements on the market today,” says Ben Quigley, Vice President of Internet Channels at Healthy Directions. “And to truly extend our reach in the Online space, we need to work with Affiliate partners in the most effective way possible.  We have chosen iMarketing because we believe they have the expertise and experience to help our Affiliate partners promote our products, drive sales, and ultimately deliver our best-in-breed supplements to more consumers online.”

iMarketing LTD will be helping Healthy Directions optimize their Commission Junction affiliate program.  In addition, the agency will work with Healthy Directions to create new consumer offers and develop further distribution channels.

“We’re very excited to announce the latest addition to our client roster, and we’re ready to dive right into their campaigns and prove we can achieve the tangible results for which we’re known,” said Keith Kochberg, Chief Executive Officer of iMarketing LTD. “Our top priority is to work as a partner to Healthy Directions leadership team, providing them with transparent online marketing campaigns that are smart and ultimately, successful.”

About iMarketing LTD
iMarketing LTD (www.imarketingltd.com) is a leading full-service online marketing agency delivering measurable results for a diverse group of clients such as Dow Jones, Hoveround, Brightcove, and Barclay Cards US. iMarketing’s innovative programs enable Fortune 500 and Media Metrix 100 companies to profitably acquire new customers and increase revenues through a wide range of online channels, including search engine marketing, search engine optimization, online media planning & buying, affiliate marketing, social media marketing, creative, web development, research, and technology. With a focus on ROI and proven experience across multiple verticals, iMarketing has earned the trust of many blue chip companies who demand accountability.

###

PR Contact:
Anna Tymczyszyn
iMarketing LTD
609-921-0400 ext. 122
annat@imarketingltd.com

“Over the last eight years we have built a strong paid search practice.  We have high expectations for ourselves and our clients and always strive to improve.  Justin brings the experience and leadership to take that practice to new levels” said Keith Kochberg, CEO of iMarketing.

Justin has held executive and management positions with online and direct marketing leaders such as Business.com, Dex One Interactive, Resource Nation and DDB Worldwide Communications Group.  He brings to iMarketing an energy and tenacity combined with a data-driven and ROI focused approach to search engine marketing. His marketing experience across channels, verticals and industries brings a breadth of knowledge that poises iMarketing to take their SEM and SEO programs to the next level.

“I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to work with iMarketing.  I’m surrounded by intelligent, results- oriented individuals who want to drive business through online marketing – using creativity, innovation and proven methods. – tThis group is positioned to continue to be an industry leader in the space, and I’m ecstatic to become a part of that,.” said Justin.

About iMarketing LTD
iMarketing LTD (www.imarketingltd.com) is a leading full-service online marketing agency delivering measurable results for clients such as Yahoo!, Dow Jones, eDiets, and Hoveround. iMarketing’s innovative programs enable Fortune 500 and Media Metrix 100 companies to profitably acquire new customers and increase revenues through a wide range of online channels, including search engine marketing, search engine optimization, online media planning & buying, affiliate marketing, social media marketing, creative, web development, research, and technology. With a focus on ROI and proven experience across multiple verticals, iMarketing has earned the trust of many blue chip companies who demand accountability.

“Monica’s highly specialized direct response media buying skills will be an asset to our short form team,” said Maria Eden, Senior Vice President of Mercury Media. “We are thrilled to offer her expertise and extensive media relationships to our clients.”

Prior to joining Mercury Media, Lovett was the Direct Response Media Manager for Kre8 Media of Winter Park, Florida, where she negotiated media placements for the agency’s largest DRTV clients including Premier Care in Bathing and Akin Meers Law Firm. Lovett’s brings nearly a decade of direct response media buying experience to Mercury Media, having served as a Senior Media Buyer for Kent Creative Group and Direct Response Media Buyer for Zimmerman Advertising, both of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Lovett began her career as a Senior Program Manager for Direct Response Media, Inc. of Wayne, Pennsylvania. Lovett holds a Master of Business Administration, Marketing from Florida Atlantic University and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, Public Relations and Advertising from Temple University.

“Having spent the majority of my career in the DRTV advertising space, I could not be happier to join such a well‐respected team,” said Lovett. “I look forward to putting my experience and relationships to work servicing some of the best brands in the business.”

Lovett, a resident of Drexel Hill, will operate out of Mercury Media’s Philadelphia office.

“Our history and relationship with Glenn goes back well over a decade and we couldn’t be more excited to bring him aboard to lead our Affiliate practice,” noted Joe Kochberg, iMarketing’s Chief Operating Officer. Adding, “Glenn’s certainly one who’s ‘been there, done that’, his industry foresight will add a new dimension to our organization.”

Glenn has held e-commerce leadership and digital marketing positions with multi-channel leaders such as Pacific Sunwear, EarthLink, Electronic Arts, and Boost Mobile/Nextel where his creativity and vision helped shape the profitable growth of multi-million dollar businesses. He brings to iMarketing a decade of direct program management experience and well established relationships among more than 20 retail categories, Internet Retailer Top 500 sites, top publishers and Affiliate networks. In addition to his hands-on experience on the client side with multi-SKU retailers, Glenn has brokered key partnerships with major portals, as well as music, film, entertainment software, wireless, sports and military organizations – all with a focus on cost effective customer acquisition.

According to Glenn, “This is a terrific opportunity to join forces with iMarketing. The team at iMarketing is one of the sharpest, most well versed in the online space, yet they’re completely down-to-earth and hyperfocused on delivering for their clients; it’s a refreshing take on an agency. I’m looking forward to extending their tradition of providing unparalleled service to clients and publishers alike, as well as expanding our suite of interactive services for retailers and other companies looking to grow customers and revenues in the online and mobile channels.”

About iMarketing LTD
iMarketing LTD (www.imarketingltd.com) is a leading full-service online marketing agency delivering measurable results for clients such as Yahoo!, Dow Jones, eDiets, and Hoveround. iMarketing’s innovative programs enable Fortune 500 and Media Metrix 100 companies to profitably acquire new customers and increase revenues through a wide range of online channels, including search engine marketing, search engine optimization, online media planning & buying, affiliate marketing, social media marketing, creative, web development, research, and technology. With a focus on ROI and proven experience across multiple verticals, iMarketing has earned the trust of many blue chip companies who demand accountability.

Hoveround engaged iMarketing to cost-effectively generate leads via the Internet, while targeting an older audience that was not typically Internet savvy. iMarketing launched a multi-pronged strategy that maximized multiple media channels, through a series of direct email efforts and paid search campaigns. Key elements included developing creative that simplified and improved consumer communication, leveraging bidding and ad copy testing to maximize leads across all keywords, and implementing a robust data collection and feedback mechanism to ensure targeted tracking. Hoveround saw immediate results from the program, with the number of overall leads increasing by nearly 60% – and costs per quality lead dropping by 5% – within just a few months.

“We’re honored to receive this honor from such a respected organization in our industry, and to be in the company of the other ECHO winners, which include some of the largest and most respected agencies in the world,” said Keith Kochberg, iMarketing CEO. “The work we have done for Hoveround represents our commitment to developing smart online marketing strategies that deliver tangible ROI for our clients in a range of different industries, targeting a multitude of consumer and business audiences.”

DMA Echo is the longest established international award that honors excellence in direct marketing. More than 1,000 marketers and agencies submitted case studies from around the world for this year’s competition.

About iMarketing LTD
iMarketing LTD (www.imarketingltd.com) is a leading full-service online marketing agency delivering measurable results for clients such as Yahoo!, Dow Jones, eDiets, AARP and Move, Inc. iMarketing’s innovative programs enable Fortune 500 and Media Metrix 100 companies to profitably acquire new customers and increase revenues through a wide range of online channels, including search marketing, online media planning & buying, affiliate marketing, research, and technology. With a focus on ROI and proven experience across multiple verticals, iMarketing has earned the trust of many blue chip companies who demand accountability