Facebook's Cross-Device User ID Solution; Yahoo's Content Recommendation

Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign-up here.

Facebook ID

Facebook is understood to be building a cross-device user ID solution that would be baked into its rebuilt Atlas ad server and provide a replacement for the beleaguered cookie. The Information has some details, gleaned from three unnamed sources. “Facebook has been pouring resources into Atlas in advance of a big new push with the product, expected to coincide with the Advertising Week trade show in late September, according to three people familiar with the plans.” (Subscription required) Pair with this AdExchanger column on Facebook’s and Google’s opportunity to reinvent the ad server with cross-device identity at the core.

Content Reco By Yahoo

Internet users will be seeing Yahoo-powered content recommendation boxes on a handful of publisher sites, including CBS Interactive and Vox Media’s SB Nation, according to an AdAge report. “The native ad network would be one way for Yahoo to take advantage of advertisers’ interest in its so-called native Stream Ads and offset the company’s years-long display revenue declines,” according to the story. Yahoo’s maneuver comes in the wake of last month’s Flurry acquisition, at which time SVP Scott Burke shared that Yahoo is planning to launch a mobile ad network. Read it, with screenshot!

NYT Paywall Hits Wall

As The New York Times keeps tweaking the balance of ads and subs to drive optimal audience engagement and revenue, there are hints its digital paywall ranks are near capacity. “Slowdown in digital subscribers means it’ll be that much harder for the Times to make up for its losses elsewhere,” writes Re/code’s Edmund Lee, “specifically in advertising, once the life-blood of the business.” From 2011 to last year, the Times lost nearly $90 million in ad revenue. Read more. Pair with AdExchanger’s coverage of NYT’s programmatic moves.

Social Bait

Facebook wants to reduce the click-bait headlines that have given rise to a range of BuzzFeed wannabes, fueled by paid and organic placements in the news feed. Two new updates respond to Facebook user survey data, in which 80% said they preferred headlines that accurately reflected the attached content. Read the blog post. It may be getting harder for new publishers to rely on social referrals.

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