Virtual Minds appoints Hossein Houssaini as Brand Representative for Marketing its “Media Manager” in the UK

Freiburg (Germany), June 12, 2024. Virtual Minds, a leading European provider of tech­nology solutions for digital advertising, continues its expansion in Europe. Previously active mainly in the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), the company is now rolling out its latest product innovation, the “Media Manager”, in the UK, following its recent launch in France. The Media Manager, one of the core technologies of “Adtech made in Europe”, a lately launched adtech initiative by German media groups ProSiebenSat.1 and RTL enables the booking and playing out of classic linear advertising media – particularly TV – using digital planning and decision-making logic.

Virtual Minds has enlisted Hossein Houssaini as Brand Representative for the Media Manager in the UK. The prestigious sector expert will be responsible for marketing the premium solution with leading broadcasters and promoting Virtual Minds’ business development and expansion in Great Britain.

Advertising sales in linear TV (estimated 3.09 billion GBP in 2024*) are on the decline in UK, as in most other European media markets. At the same time, ad spending in the digital video channels, particularly CTV, is increasing significantly (forecast +25% percent up to 2027*). Broadcasters can now benefit from the great potential and efficiency advantages of digital marketing also in their classic core business while retaining their existing media and business models.

Virtual Minds Media Manager: Opening Linear TV Advertising to Digital Planning and Decision-Making Logics

The Media Manager is currently designed for digital advertising marketing of typical broadcast media (“one-to-many”) such as TV. The platform, which can be seamlessly integrated into existing media technology systems, enables the provision and real-time playout of classic, linear inventories using automated optimisation logic such as an event-based real-time exclusion of advertising campaigns.

In addition to managing the inventory of the entire broadcaster programme (allo­cation of commercials at commercial break level), the solution also assumes respon­sibility for a revenue-oriented optimisation of the commercial break composition. The system processes and supplies relevant target group and marketing indicators, such as total number of viewers or listeners and their target group segmentation for planning. It provides crucial tracking data for campaign management in real time via the dashboard, ensuring publishers retain complete control over all processes.

Looking forward, the Media Manager as “holistic TV advertising engine” will enable convergent planning, delivery, measurement and invoicing of all video inventories – one-to-one (addressable TV, connected TV, online video) and one-to-many (classic, linear TV) – from one platform based on standard target groups and KPI.

Appointment of Hossein Houssaini as Brand Representative for Virtual Minds’ Media Manager in the UK

With Hossein Houssaini, Virtual Minds secures the expertise of a renowned international expert in the sector to develop and expand its technology business in Great Britain.

The founder of the London-based consultancy Ho/Pe Advisory sits on various advisory boards, including the data forum i-com.org and is an investor. Previously, Hossein worked as Global Vice President and Head of Programmatic Solutions for the Havas Group, where he helped build the Global Music Data Alliance between Havas and Universal Music Group. Hossein is also a co-founder of Havas University and has trained over 50,000 employees on programmatic advertising today.

Before joining Havas Group, Hossein was an executive at Google, where he successfully managed the Rich Media business for DACH and the Nordics. He was also one of the founding members of IPG Mediabrands’ first trading desk, Cadreon, in DACH. Hossein has received multiple recognitions and nominations, including Ad Tech Personality of the Year by Exchange Wire in 2017 and 2018 and one of the top 50 global marketing and advertising personalities by MADcon in 2019. In 2020, he was nominated by Adzine for Agency Innovator of the Year at the 2020 NEO IO Awards.

As Brand Representative for the Media Manager, Hossein Houssaini will oversee the implementation of Virtual Minds’ go-to-market activities in the UK and all related marketing measures involved.

“We’re delighted that we could win Hossein Houssaini, one of the outstanding minds of the British and EU digital sector, to implement our ambitious plans in UK. With his excellent marketing and tech expertise and first-class market contacts, he will significantly contribute to positioning the technology we offer in the UK market in the long term,” notes Managing Director Virtual Minds Dirk von Borstel. “With an upcoming sales potential for the digital transformation of more than three billion GBP of classic TV spendings in an innovative media and technology environment, UK is an exciting target market for our internationalisation efforts. As in other European countries, UK TV stations are under pressure to digitalise their core business to remain competitive. Our Media Manager provides them with the technological solution for effectively marke­ting their classic video inventories according to digital logics and processes while retaining their existing media and business models, solving crucial challenges of CTV as fragmentation, data protection and measurement issues. They can thereby strengthen their position in competition with global digital players.”

Hossein Houssaini, Brand Representative for the Virtual Minds Media Manager, adds: “I am thrilled to join Virtual Minds and lead the launch of the Media Manager in the UK. The platform’s ability to integrate digital planning and decision-making into traditional TV advertising provides a unique advantage for broadcasters looking to stay competitive in the digital age. I look forward to working with UK broadcasters to unlock new efficiencies and potential.”

* Source: MAGNA Global Advertising Forecast December 2023