(12 December 2007 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: US broadcaster MTV has created Digital Fusion, a specialised unit focused on modern advertising and marketing solutions that incorporate original and customised creative content across the company's digital portfolio.

Operating within MTV's Digital Advertising group, Digital Fusion will leverage the company's targetted sites, mobile properties and digital creative teams, to connect advertisers with consumers. The new unit is led by Digital Fusion senior VP, GM Jason Witt who will report to MTV executive VP, digital advertising Nada Stirratt.

Stirratt says, "Our marketing partners want solutions that take full advantage of our greatest strength -- creating innovative and engaging content. Digital Fusion will empower marketers to further tap into our iconic brands and access customised digital marketing solutions with the same ingenuity and inventiveness as our music, entertainment, comedy and pop culture content."

Digital Fusion will work across the company's digital portfolio to create entirely new digital ad products, from creative uses of existing inventory to original interactive experiences, including video content, online games, microsites and widgets. Drawing on the resources of MTV's product development, ad operations and research teams, the new unit will develop solutions that incorporate consumer insights, as well as tools and features used for MTVN's digital content.

Digital Fusion will cover all of MTVN's digital platforms, including the company's expanding roster of highly targeted niche sites, its mobile offerings and its growing stable of virtual worlds.

In October, MTV attracted 90 million unique visitors globally, according to comScore Media Metrix. The company recently began to roll out Flux, a next-generation social media platform that will grow to span the company's young adult-and adult-directed websites and be open across the Internet.

MTV announced a development slate of two dozen targetted websites that would bring the company's global website portfolio to more than 300. The company is also interested in investing more than $500 million over the next two years in the development and distribution of its gaming business, to serve and drive engagement among its core demographic audiences.