Key Takeaways
- Renowned advertising industry figure Michael Kassan has joined the board of directors at adtech company Cognitiv.
- This marks Cognitiv’s first board appointment outside its founders, signaling a focus on strategic growth.
- Kassan, founder of MediaLink and now 3C Ventures, brings decades of experience connecting brands, media, and technology.
- Cognitiv specializes in using AI for advanced ad targeting and predicting consumer behavior.
- Kassan’s expertise is expected to help Cognitiv accelerate partnerships and expand its market presence.
Adtech firm Cognitiv has brought advertising industry veteran Michael Kassan onto its board of directors.
Kassan is a significant figure in the ad world, known for forging connections and partnerships. He founded the influential advisory firm MediaLink and recently launched 3C Ventures.
His appointment is a notable step for Cognitiv, as he is the first board member who wasn’t part of the company’s founding team. This move indicates Cognitiv is entering a new phase focused on expansion.
Cognitiv, established in 2015, uses artificial intelligence to help advertisers find the right audiences by analyzing data and predicting consumer actions.
Kassan expressed his enthusiasm, telling ADWEEK that Cognitiv stands out with its purpose-built AI technology designed for modern marketing challenges.
The company’s products align with current hot trends in advertising technology. One such tool, ContextGPT, which uses AI for contextual ad targeting, has seen adoption grow significantly since its launch last year.
This growth prompted Cognitiv to strengthen its partnership with OpenAI earlier this year. The company also shared an example where a video game client dramatically reduced costs using ContextGPT to reach valuable gamers.
Cognitiv believes Kassan’s deep industry relationships will be invaluable as AI becomes increasingly important in advertising.
Jeremy Fain, Cognitiv’s CEO and Co-founder, mentioned that Kassan’s closeness to brands will help the company better tailor its services and future products.
Fain outlined key areas for growth: forging more strategic partnerships, launching new products, and increasing Cognitiv’s visibility at major industry events like Possible and Cannes Lions – events where Kassan is a familiar face.
Currently employing 150 people, Cognitiv has reportedly grown 55% since last January and manages substantial media spending on its platform, according to details shared with ADWEEK.
