Deal helps brands and agencies reach influencers with paid and earned media at scale

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF—APRIL 27, 2011—Halogen Media Group today announced that it has merged with New York-based YouCast, a social advertising and technology firm. YouCast will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Halogen. Co-founders John Eaton and Jonathan Cohen will remain in their current roles as President and chairman/chief development officer, respectively. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Marketers and agencies are increasingly looking for solutions that reach influencers, integrate paid and earned media, and do it all at scale,” said Halogen CEO Greg Shove. “We’ve excelled at reaching influencers with premium paid media at Halogen, but the earned media component needed strengthening. YouCast’s track record, technology, and team quickly emerged as the perfect fit.”

Managing and activating influencers on the authentic and social web is the next great marketing imperative for brands, and it will be accomplished with a combination of technology, media solutions and strong analytics. Together, YouCast and Halogen will work to expand and refine influencer media offerings across paid and earned media channels to help brands succeed in today’s influence-driven marketplace.

Over the last three years, YouCast has implemented high-profile earned and social media initiatives for clients like PepsiCo, GE, Turner Entertainment and the NBA. “John and I have always been passionate about bringing the rigor of paid media analytics to the earned media channel; this merger amplifies our ability to realize this vision,” said Jonathan Cohen, chairman and chief development officer of YouCast. “We think one of the measures of success for a paid media campaign will be the volume of social currency created by that campaign. Our merger with YouCast enables Halogen to deliver social currency results from branded display campaigns,” said Greg Shove.  The deal presents significant opportunities for Fortune 500 brands in search of influencer marketing solutions at scale. The combined companies will also serve agencies seeking to partner with a media technology and services firm that offers authentic publisher reach and a tech platform that can quantify the value of their social activation spending.

About YouCast

YouCast is an influencer relationship management company that delivers brand-sponsored social activation at scale. The firm has a network of tens of thousands of influential web publishers and technology solutions that allow companies to efficiently manage influencer relations and build custom influencer networks at scale. The company’s platform allows it to cultivate brand ambassadors and reward them for their advocacy, thus driving reach and amplification even higher. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Halogen Media Group and is based in New York City. www.youcast.com.

About Halogen Media Group

Halogen is a fast-growing media technology and services firm that operates at the nexus of the rapidly evolving advertising and media industries. Halogen curates highly engaged and influential online audiences, and facilitates the megaphone of social influence among these audiences with a compelling mix of paid and earned campaigns. The company has offices in Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco. www.halogenmediagroup.com.

# # #

Contact:
Amy Janzen for Halogen
amyrjanzen@gmail.com
917-209-6819