Quibi has poached a high-ranking advertising sales executive from Snap, as it ramps up its pitch to big-name advertisers.
The Hollywood exec Jeffrey Katzenberg's to-be-launched mobile streaming-video service has hired Marni Schapiro as its head of North America advertising sales, Business Insider has learned. Schapiro starts next week. Quibi and Snap confirmed the news to Business Insider.
Schapiro spent four years at Snap, where she most recently was the director of sales, focusing on retail. Prior to Snap, she spent more than eight years at Google, where she held a number of advertising roles focused on retail and consumer packaged goods.
Schapiro's hire comes as Quibi executives have been seeking up-front ad commitments from brand marketers and ad agencies. Quibi is talking to at least four big brands, including Procter & Gamble and Anheuser-Busch InBev, Business Insider reported last week. At Quibi, she will be in charge of leading the sales organization and be responsible for cultivating relationships with both advertisers and agencies.
Quibi is building its executive ranks as it seeks these advertiser sponsorships. The up-front negotiations, for example, are led by Tim Connolly, the company's head of partnerships and advertising. Connolly was recruited from Hulu, where he was was the former SVP of partnerships and distribution. Schapiro will report to Nicole McCormack, Quibi's head of advertising partnerships, who in turn reports to Connolly.
The company plans to launch in April 2020 with a $5 per month, ad-supported subscription version and an $8 per month, ad-free version.
