Katz to sell online display ads.

Already selling digital audio ads, mobile ads and email marketing campaigns to advertisers, Katz 360 Sales has struck a deal to add the fourth leg to its strategy.  Under an alliance with the Rubicon Project, Katz will begin selling online display ads for station websites.  ThinkEquity researchers predict the category will reach $15 billion.

Katz 360 Sales president Brian Benedik says, “The one hole we’ve had in the digital arena was display.  This gets Katz into the non-audio game.”  He says a key component to the addition is being able to offer advertisers highly-targeted campaigns that go beyond radio’s traditional age demo to behavioral and content targets.  “Advertisers are asking for strategic, geo-targeted ad campaigns,” says Benedik. “This takes the 25-54 target to such a new level.”

Katz 360 needed a technology partner in order to do that, which led them to the Rubicon Project.  Approximately 20,000 websites use Los Angeles-based Rubicon technology.

A sales structure is being created to focus on selling a new class of inventory — called secondary premium display advertising — alongside Katz  360’s dedicated team of 12 digital sales reps and more than 350 Katz Media reps nationwide.