Mediaboss Marketing

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Until now, the digital advertising field has lacked professional benchmarks such as the legal worlds Bar Exam and Wall Streets Series 7. That situation changes with todays announcement by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) establishing the first-ever educational standard for digital media sales forces with the launch of the IAB Digital Media Sales Certification.

To receive the certification, digital sales professionals must complete an examination, which will be administered through Pearson Testing Centers. Registration for the certification exam kicks off today, with applications available at http://www.iab.net/certification. The inaugural exams are scheduled for Monday, June 11, 2012 and will be held at Pearsons Test Centers worldwide.

The certification program will help raise the level of professionalism in the digital field by allowing salespeople to demonstrate their knowledge of the complex interactive environment, said Michael Theodore, Vice President, Member Services, IAB. Much like examinations in other fields, this test will give current job holders and job seekers a score card to prove their understanding of the most important concepts, guidelines, and best practices in digital advertising. Businesses also benefit by ensuring that they have the most competent sales teams possible.

"The IAB's program to create new educational standards for the interactive industry is an exciting step forward for advancing the field of digital advertising sales," said Patrick Dolan, Executive Vice President & COO, IAB. "Once the digital media sales certification program is launched, we will develop similar training and certification programs for other related professions in the industry, which will both teach and recognize the knowledge and skills needed for success."

There is no formal coursework required for the IAB Digital Media Sales Certification examination. Designed for salespeople with 2-5 years of experience in the digital industry, it is recommended that candidates have a strong command of current industry issues, players, and operations, as well as a broad understanding of every major digital platform. The test costs $350 for IAB members and $450 for non-members.

Before creating the certification program, IAB conducted extensive research into the knowledge gaps in the field, including the IAB Interactive Ad IQ Industry Survey with Ernst & Young, and a series of in-depth interviews with sales professionals.

The findings showed that many professionals on both the sell-side and buy-side are struggling to keep up with the rapid evolution of interactive advertising platforms, technologies and capabilities. Yet, they agree that a deep understanding of these areas is critical to their success and the growth of the industry.

As a result, the certification exam will cover general comprehension of the digital advertising ecosystem, selling digital media and analyzing campaign performance. Specific topics will include:

The IAB worked with the fully accredited test development company Professional Testing, Inc. to create the content of the exam, alongside subject matter experts from IAB member companies:

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IAB Launches Digital Media Sales Certification to Set New Professional Benchmark for the Interactive Advertising ...