Chris Allen

VP/Video Innovation Director
Starcom USA

Why Him? Allen’s consistently at the forefront of digital developments. Take his involvement in the VivaKi testing initiative The Pool. “For me, The Pool is an opportunity to work with the smartest people in the business, which makes me better at my job,” he says. “It also reinforces the need of the industry to work together in order for everyone to succeed.”

Not Measuring Up: Allen is eager for better ways to measure digital media’s value. “It’s easier said than done, but future campaigns will be evaluated by metrics, which take into account brand exposures and interactions across platforms and over time,” he says. “We don’t necessarily need single-source measurement, but the ability to aggregate data from different sources to understand campaign impact will be key.”

Who Wins A Fight Between Facebook and Twitter? “Facebook, because the masses ‘get it.’ It delivers greater reach, more time spent and more visits per day. It also dwarfs Twitter in ad revenue, and at the end of the day, the goal for any site is to make money.”

Favorite Digital Toy: “Without a doubt, my iPad. I often describe it as the device that fills a void I didn’t know I had.”

In 10 Years Cable Will Be: “An old idea, but the cable operators will have evolved by developing services that run across devices so that consumers control their experiences.”