Y&R and eMotion Create Global Brand Manager

Brandweek,  Feb 21, 2000  by Ann M. Mack

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Young & Rubicam, New York, announced today that it will turn over Y&R TeamSpace, its Web-based brand management technology, to eMotion, a Vienna, Va.-based digital media-management company, for an undisclosed equity position in the firm.

Building upon existing tools in the Y&R and eMotion arsenals, the partnership will create Global Brand Manager, an application designed to equip brand managers with worldwide, real-time access, via the Web, to their agencies and account information. The combination will inevitably add to the global presence of brand- and media-management technology.

Replacing the bricks-and-mortar media library, Global Brand Manager will archive all brand- and marketing-related materials, including video, audio and print executions; works in progress; and planning documents and schedules. In addition, it will serve as a platform that enables clients and agencies to work with the materials--without requiring significant capital expenditures for hardware and software.

While a brand manager might now have to call and coordinate efforts with a number of account executives to obtain brand information, the technology will allow the manager to go online, log onto the brand's password-sensitive site and view status reports, creative and brand assets that have been loaded on the site by agencies worldwide.

Still finalizing a pricing model, the partners said the cost of the application will include a one-time fee that will cover regional training and setup, plus a per-user, per-month fee.

"With this tool, there is a shift from agencies holding assets to brand managers holding assets," said Rich Rothstein, former vice president of Internet services for Y&R and newly named vice president of Application Service Provider operations for eMotion.

Formed last month by the merger of Cinebase Software, Los Angeles, a provider of digital asset-management software and services, and Picture Network International, Ltd., Vienna, Va., a digital media-commerce company, eMotion offers a line of software tools and online services--such as digitized video and audio, still-image photography and animation--designed to manage media content.

The pairing of the ad giant's TeamSpace tool with the media management firm's software smarts fills a technological void in the 15-member Y&R division while heightening eMotion's credibility in the advertising world.

Currently used in 70 cities and 45 countries, the two-year-old Y&R technology boasts such clients as airline network Star Alliance, currently headquartered in Montreal, Canada. With the new collaboration, Y&R seeks to get a boost from the techsavvy eMotion and to take greater advantage of the exploding Internet market.

"Although we built Y&R TeamSpace inhouse, managing technology is not Y&R's core business," said Steve Blondy, senior vice president of corporate development for Y&R. "Partnering with experts at eMotion will ensure that we continue to improve our level of client service--allowing Y&R to focus on clients' brand and customer development, while relying on technology specialists to invest in state-of-the-art applications."

Robert Griffin, eMotion president and chief executive, added, "The acquisition [of Y&R TeamSpace] will give us an impressive addition to our product offerings and a distinct competitive advantage."

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