Marketing veteran Scott Donaton has joined VersusGame, an AI-powered interactive content company, as chief marketing officer.
Donaton, most recently senior VP of marketing at Disney’s Hulu, will oversee all marketing functions for Versus, including brand strategy, communications, content, social media and consumer insights. Donaton had joined Hulu in 2019; he introduced the streaming industry’s first branded entertainment practice before exiting Hulu in the spring of 2023.
Prior to Hulu, Donaton served as global chief creative and content officer at ad agency Digitas. Earlier in his career, he was publisher of Entertainment Weekly, as well as editor and publisher of Advertising Age. Donaton currently serves on the board of directors of NPR.
“I’ve spent my career at the intersection of marketing, media, entertainment and technology, and Versus is pointing the way forward for all of those industries,” Donaton said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to officially join the Versus team as the company continues to revolutionize the way brands use content to engage fans while increasing revenue.”
Also Wednesday, VersusGame announced the appointment of Elliot Solomon as VP of business development. Over his 20-year career, Solomon has built and led sales and business development teams at companies including Disney, Snap and Unity Technologies.
Founded in 2019, L.A.-based VersusGame says it uses “proprietary AI” to turn sites, apps, TV shows and podcasts into interactive experiences with questionnaires, surveys and polls. The company says partners include such brands as Disney, ABC, the NFL, Microsoft, Forbes, iHeartRadio, Lionsgate, UFC, USA Today, TMZ and the Grammys.
“Scott’s experience working with some of the top names in entertainment and media will be invaluable as we continue to evolve our platform to deliver the best in AI technology and interactive content,” said VersusGame founder and CEO John Vitti. “Scott’s expertise, combined with Elliot’s proven ability to recognize customer needs and deliver scalable, valuable solutions, will be essential as we work to continue bridging the gap between how people view and engage with content.”
VersusGame last week announced that Steel Perlot, a company that builds and invests in AI- and analytics-driven platform businesses chaired by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, has a seat on its board of directors. VersusGame’s advisers include Jeffrey Katzenberg, Reid Hoffman, Mark Pincus, Kevin Mayer and Mark Burnett.
