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Strata (company)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Strata
Company typePublicly held company
IndustryAdvertising
Founded1983
HeadquartersChicago, Illinois, United States
Key people
ProductsMedia buying/selling software
Number of employees
240 (2015)
Websitewww.gotostrata.com

Strata Marketing Inc. is a Chicago, Illinois-based software company involved in connecting media buyers and sellers. It is part of FreeWheel, which is a division of Comcast.[1] As of 2010, it processes about $50 billion worth of media buys annually.[2]

History

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The company that became Strata was founded in 1983 by Roger Skolnik, PhD, an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Skolnik had been national program director for Westinghouse Broadcasting (Group W), based at WIND (AM) Chicago, before moving to WRIF Detroit and ABC-owned WDAI (now WLS-FM) in Chicago. These experiences led him to develop methods for analyzing radio audience information and making it available for both sales and programming. To develop and market software tools for these methods he launched Media Service Concepts. Skolnik's first MSC product was Radio RECALL, programmed by Kevin Killion (whose Stone House Systems, Inc. later created the TView television planning system). Renamed as Strata Marketing, the company originally developed tools for radio stations to use in interpreting and understanding Arbitron radio surveys. Skolnik continued to guide Strata until his death in 1994.[3]

Strata Marketing Inc. was acquired by Comcast in 2005. Strata purchased the custom-development company Spot Buy Spot (SBS) in 2007.

Software

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For agency clients, Strata provides a suite of tools for planning, buying, stewardship, optimization and billing across all forms of media, including TV, cable, radio, print, digital and outdoor.

References

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  1. ^ Mandese, Joe (October 20, 2009). "Strata Strives For New One In Branding Effort, Wants To Bring 'Order' To Media 'Chaos'". Media Daily News. Mediapost.
  2. ^ Mandese, Joe (February 18, 2010). "MediaBank, Strata Unveil New Digital Media-Buying Apps". Media Daily News. Mediapost.
  3. ^ "Roger Skolnik, Radio Exec". Chicago Tribune. November 7, 1994.
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