The investment follows a strong year for the Financial Times' advertising team, with double digit growth in digital, mobile and video advertising, the global roll-out of its semantic advertising service FT Smart Match and a promising performance in its programmatic trading marketplaces, say the publishers.
The curriculum will include tailored programmes on the advertising industry and emerging products that benefit both media owners and advertisers.
Jon Slade, the FT’s commercial director of global digital advertising and insight, said: “The FT continues to lead innovation in advertising with products such as FT Smart Match, and we take every possible measure to offer clients the most valuable proposition. With an increased focus on content-based advertising, programmatic trading and HTML5 formats for mobile, the Global Commercial Academy is a vital part of our strategy. It will ensure our team remains at the forefront of developments in advertising.”
Lauren Henderson, global head of learning and development for the FT, added: “With a growing focus on education, the FT is uniquely positioned to offer staff industry-leading professional development. The GCA is an important addition to our award-winning employee training programme, including FT Digital Learning Week, which helps attract and develop the industry’s sharpest talent.”
GCA courses will take place in the FT’s offices in London, New York, Hong Kong and Paris.
