The aim of the fifth annual MSN Strategic Account Summit is to look at accountability of advertising on the internet with the publication of a new study from Microsoft about how to create the optimal media mix.
Semel, chairman and CEO of Yahoo! and Deutsch, chairman and CEO of Deutsch Advertising, are to discuss the latest strategies for reaching consumer audiences and the impact of technology on the advertising industry.
"Online advertising has emerged as a powerful marketing tool for building strong brands that connect with consumers," Deutsch said. "We've found that fully integrated campaigns with online components provide a greater impact and produce solid business results for marketers."
Ballmer, chief executive of Microsoft, will take part in a Q&A session at the summit, and announce the findings of the study. Gates, chairman and chief software architect, is to talk about upcoming advances in online technology that could benefit the ad industry.
Joanne Bradford, chief media revenue officer for MSN, said: "This year's summit will demonstrate just how far the online industry has come in the past year to improve marketers' bottom line through increased efficiencies and exciting new opportunities."
The summit runs for three days at Microsoft's Redmond campus with more than 500 advertising and online industry figures in attendance.
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