From Silicon Valley, Media Startup Ozy.com Vies for Adland's Attention
Posted in: UncategorizedAlmost every Thursday, Carlos Watson, the former MSNBC anchor who last year co-founded the news site Ozy.com with money from Silicon Valley elite, boards a transcontinental flight in San Francisco bound for New York, where he’ll rise early on Friday to appear on CNN’s morning show “New Day.” He usually spends the rest of the day dashing around New York — carry-on bag in tow — going to meetings, lunches and coffee dates with a coterie of advertising and agency execs, journalists and others. That night, it’s back to the Bay Area, where, in Mountain View, Ozy is headquartered.
It is about as exhausting as it sounds, Mr. Watson said. But his efforts appear to be making some headway for Ozy, which marks its first anniversary next month.
The site has entered into a content partnership with CNN that promises to raise its profile; it has hired people from prominent media companies, including, recently, Politico Chief Technology Officer Ryan Mannion; and, on Sept. 12, the site plans to introduce advertising for the first time. Deutsche Bank, Emirates airline, Hyatt’s Andaz boutique hotel brand, Lufthansa, John Varvatos and Visa are among the advertisers that will begin running on the site, according to an Ozy spokeswoman.
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