Ad boss Lynda Clarizio tries to scrub the "AOL" out of Platform-A
Here's AOL ad network Platform-A's new logo. According to president Lynda Clarizio, it "communicates our distinct competitive advantage of scale and reach." The real message: The new logo brands Platform-A as distinct from AOL. Why? Clarizio is AOL's seventh advertising boss since 2001. The turmoil has not helped AOL rebuild relationships with Madison Avenue. The result: AOL has reported traffic to its websites was up 15 percent, and ComScore says its ad network reached 91 percent of the U.S. Internet audience in March. And yet analysts expect AOL's advertising revenues for the first quarter to be flat or down. A fresh start may help, but it won't solve AOL's problems.