Google Search Gets Display; Facebook Data, Instagram Ads

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Google Search Gets Display

One could say that Google’s Product Listing Ads initially brought the sweet nectar of display advertising to Google’s search engine result pages (SERPs). Now, Google’s showing nontraditional display ads for several select advertisers in the SERPs. The New York Times’ Bits blogger, Claire Cain Miller, writes, “The ads are part of Google’s multiyear evolution from showing text links to displaying a variety of videos, photos, company logos, maps and other visual information.” Read more. Greg Sterling takes an additional look at “brand image” ads.

Facebook Data, Instagram Ads

Facebook is opening up about its forthcoming ads on Instagram. Read the blog post. From the FAQ: “We … will use information about what you do on Instagram and Facebook (our parent company). For instance, this might include the people you follow and the photos and videos you like on Instagram, and your interests and other basic info on Facebook.” More. No word on whether Custom Audiences offline audience matching or retargeting will be offered.

Speed Testing

Real-time bidding (RTB) created fast, just-in-time buying of display ads, and now LifeStreet Media is bringing fast testing to the mix, according to VentureBeat. The platform, called RevJet, will be integrated with a number of ad exchanges including MoPub, AdMob and Nexage. “What we’re doing differently is perpetual high-velocity testing,” Mitchell Weisman, founder and chief executive of LifeStreet, said in an interview with VentureBeat. “RTB is a way of buying media, then there’s a question of how you use the media, and how well you use the media.” Read more.

Twitter Worth Billions

As its IPO approaches, Wall Street’s valuation of social (ad) platform Twitter is apparently around $11 billion. Read the S-1. TechCrunch runs the math: “[The] pricing indicates that Twitter could raise as much as $1.4 billion with this IPO or $1.6 billion, including the over-allotment option — which accounts for around a 13% stake in the company overall. Twitter notes that underwriters have an option to purchase 10,500,000 more shares if the IPO is exceeded at the IPO price less discount.” Read more. So, Twitter will have about a billion and a half to buy stuff (tech) — let alone the ability to use its valuable stock as currency.

WPP Earnings

WPP’s Q3 earnings are in, and revenues are up 7.4% overall. Public relations and public affairs was one area with a loss of revenue, while advertising and media saw a growth of 8.2% in revenues. The company expects to see improvements in the Asia Pacific region as growth slows in the US, UK and Western Europe. Read the release (pdf).

Hail, Yield Chief

Viacom named John Halley, who has worked at the company since 2007, as EVP and COO of ad sales. Halley will be responsible for “the company’s pricing and inventory, commercial operations, finance and business intelligence functions across the Viacom Media Networks ad sales linear and digital portfolio.” Read the release.

Data Matters

The Epoch Times is using Lotame as its DMP of choice to leverage all of its print and online data. The publication is known for its multilingual coverage of China. “If you don’t have data, you don’t have anything,” said Amir Talai of Epoch Times. Read the release. Data driving media is language agnostic.

Perceptions: Marketers Vs. Consumers

A new study commissioned by ad platform [x+1] compares the differences between various marketing efforts and consumer preferences. The study found that 25% of consumers believe email to be the most valuable when making a purchase decision and only 2% found SMS helpful. Consumers’ top three preferred methods of communication were email, a personalized Web experience and display, whereas marketers valued social over display. Despite the consumer preference for display ads, less than 40% of marketers include them in their media strategy. Read the report (Pay with some PII).

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