ROBERT YALLEN
President & Chief Executive Officer |
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It’s no surprise that Robert Yallen was a collegiate All-American sprinter. Keeping up with him today is definitely a challenge. As president and CEO of the Inter/Media Group of Companies, he oversees ten different units that all operate individually, but can also synergistically combine to offer a variety of services to the company’s clients.
The $450-million Inter/Media Group of Companies® have sprinted to the top on innovation, initiative, creativity, clout and sheer drive…the same drive that powered Yallen to the top of the All-American rankings. The cornerstone of the company’s business has been blending direct response advertising with general market resources and techniques.
Yallen, who resides in Hidden Hills, CA, was one of the first to perceive the value of direct response advertising—which requires an 800-number and/or website call-to-action—for major brands as a cost-effective marketing strategy and then began mining that territory for business. Until then, direct response was solely perceived by business and the TV viewers as late-night sales of slicers and ab rollers—the home of pitchmen such as Ron Popeil. But Yallen had a bigger vision. He perceived that traditional advertising failed to ask for the sale in strong enough terms and that direct response could be adapted for major advertisers to deliver powerful and media-efficient brand messaging, as well as product sales.
What began as one single advertising agency founded by Robert’s father Sydney Yallen in 1974, has now morphed into 10 unique business units, including Inter/Media Advertising®, Inter/Media Time Buying®. Inter/Image Productions®, InterPost Productions®, Media Point Network®, InterQuantum®, Inter/Media Interactive®, InfoTech Development®, Inter/Media Properties® and Bellatrix Media®. Combined they offer full-service advertising (strategic leadership, creative, production, post production, research, online and offline media buying and media optimization/tracking), retail brokering, performance-based advertising, and aggregated media buying.
Using proprietary technologies, cost-efficient direct response buying strategies and mainline advertising production and practices, Yallen has made Inter/Media a leader in product sales, brand recognition and retail advertising. His pioneering vision and media knowledge have allowed him to introduce numerous new and innovative media strategies to the industry.
Over the years, he has guided highly successful campaigns for the U.S. Army, Johnson & Johnson, Neutrogena, GMAC Insurance, Armor All, Public Storage, ditech.com, Discover Card, Budget Blinds, Glad, Clorox, Black & Decker, Vonage, Emson, Sanyo, Ubisoft, Auto Insurance Specialists, Biotab Nutraceuticals, Video Professor, Corinthian Colleges and Marinello Schools of Beauty.
Yallen first began working for Inter/Media in 1981 while attending Southwestern University School of Law, where he ultimately received the highest achievement granted in Mass Communication Law. In 1984, he received his Juris Doctor degree and in 1985 was admitted to the state and federal bars of California. Specializing in entertainment, advertising and business law, he initially worked as an associate for a small law firm.
But with Inter/Media poised to grow, Yallen was lured back to rejoin the company in 1985, where his unique skills made significant contributions to the company's growth and strategic re-positioning. Yallen became President, demonstrating exceptional proficiency in new business development, operations and the ability to create additional revenue-generating business units. After his father’s death in February 2009, Robert also assumed the role of CEO. Today he has evolved into one of the leading experts and authorities on direct response advertising.
In addition to his corporate duties, Yallen handles certain responsibilities within the Inter/Media Advertising® subsidiary—the recruiting and contracting of celebrity endorsers, managing all of the company’s contractual and legal matters, supervising media relations—and pursuing business development, co-managing key accounts and developing the creative and media buying strategies for many of the clients.
As an entertainment lawyer, he has negotiated celebrity endorsement agreements with Jimmy Johnson, Rod Carew, Alan Rachins, George Kennedy, Elliot Gould, Judge Joseph A. Wapner, Shari Belafonte, Donald O’Connor, Cindy Williams, Fran Tarkenton, Kate Jackson, Arsenio Hall, Chuck Woolery and Katherine LaNasa among others.
Yallen has also recently taken the company into real estate with the creation of Inter/Media Properties®, which does real estate development and residential leasing.
He has a Bachelor of Science in Business with a marketing emphasis from California State University, Northridge and a Juris Doctor from Southwestern University School of Law. |
