Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign-up here.
Video Acquisition
Over the weekend, Ryan Lawler said in TechCrunch that, according to his sources, Comcast will buy video platform Freewheel for $320 million. Lawler explains, “Comcast, of course, is interested in owning the technology for its own video ad platform. That said, FreeWheel is expected to continue serving outside clients, particularly the networks that the cable company has partnered with for its own TV Everywhere services.” Read it.
Bob Arnold gives his take on programmatic in a Q&A with the ANA’s Ken Beaulieu for MediaPost. Arnold defines programmatic as “utilizing technology to plan and buy media in order to reach the right person with the right message when they’re most receptive. It eliminates a lot of the guesswork of media buying.” Read the rest.
This Is How It Is
On Digiday, John McDermott says that Facebook isn’t making any friends on Madison Avenue. He writes, “Facebook is not yet good at the agency game, where buyers are used to being wined and dined. Like Google before it, Facebook often gives off a blunt, ‘this is how it is’ approach. Agencies are under more pressure to prove their worth and fear being cut out of the equation by technology platforms.” Read more. Meanwhile, ad prices may be rising on Facebook according to an Inside Facebook article.
Guaranteed Display
Display ad platform iSocket announced iSocket for Advertisers as it looks to plant a flag in the programmatic guaranteed marketplace. MediaPost’s Laurie Sullivan explains, “Media buyers at agencies and brands can browse iFA’s publisher catalog and buy reserved inventory directly from any of iSocket’s publishers, like Microsoft, Conde Nast, Reuters and Forbes.” Read more.
Hot Links
Marketing Land looks at some new referral data for news sites in a report from Web analytics company Parse.ly. Matt McGee writes, “In January, Parse.ly says traffic from Google sites to its network was about 38 percent of all referrals, down from 44 percent in October. Over the same period, Facebook referral traffic rose from 16 to 26 percent. In other words, a gap of 28 percentage points in October dropped to just 12 in January.” Read more.
You’re Hired!
- Reporter Jack Marshall Joins Wall Street Journal – Jack Marshall
But Wait. There’s More!
- The Happenstance Variable – Hollis Thomases
- Tech Fuels Raging San Francisco Housing Market – The NY Times
- MMX Exchange Goes Global – AppNexus blog
- Apple CEO Says Apple TV No Longer A Hobby – Reuters
