In what some might call the first “upfront” buy of the burgeoning online social media marketplace, Publicis has negotiated deals with a half dozen leading suppliers of social media advertising that included advantageous prices for clients of the agency holding company. The deals, which were unveiled Wednesday during an internal briefing by Publicis’ new VivaKi Nerve Center in the New York offices of MediaVest, include suppliers such as Buddy Media, Meebo, Socialmedia.com, SocialVibe, Vitrue, as well as the social network giant Facebook.
While he did not disclose the precise terms of those deals, Cam Balzer, the VivaKi executive who presided over the presentation, implied the selection of a group of preferred social media suppliers that Publicis agencies and their clients know they can trust and work with, was as important as their economics.
