Media companies aren’t what they used to be as distinct technology companies and agencies may percolate within. Think Hearst/iCrossing, Gannett and its cadre of digital tools and services, The New York Times, Conde Nast – and Washington Post Company and SocialCode. As CEO Laura O’Shaughnessy tells it, SocialCode is “the biggest player in the paid social space for Fortune 500 companies” and just at the beginning of what it can do for clients. It doesn’t hurt that Washington Post’s Don Graham sits on the Facebook board and, consequently, the social media leader is clearly a focus for SocialCode. But, O’Shaughnessy is quick to point out that the two public companies can’t trade information on the latest and greatest innovations or plans at either company. Since its inception in late 2010, SocialCode has evolved into a social media advertising agency with 75 people and offices sprinkled around the U.S. including Washington, New York and San Francisco. AdExchanger recently spoke to O’Shaughnessy about her company and the road ahead. Why did Washington Post Company start SocialCode? Any particular trigger in 2010? LAURA O’SHAUGNESSY: It was very clear that this was an enormous advertising opportunity for brands. You could look at the space and say, “There’s no reason to think that what happened with Google [and search], couldn’t happen with Facebook in terms of it opening up a new marketing channel to brands.” We took a swing at providing them the best solutions, highest integrity solutions in the space.

Back in 2010, Facebook was foreign to brands. They didn’t think they necessarily needed to be there. Now in 2012, it’s still a confusing, huge space, yet everybody knows that it is a critical piece of the marketing mix.

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