Trending On Facebook; TV Style Programmatic

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

Trending On Facebook

Facebook is testing new ways to capture trending topics based on public discussions, much the way Twitter does. The initial partners, according to a Facebook blog post, will include Buzzfeed, CNN, NBC’s Today Show, BSkyB, Slate and Mass Relevance, with plans to open it up more in the future. The two APIs will be a Public Feed API — a real-time feed of public posts about a certain word — and the Keyword Insights API, which aggregates posts about a certain word in a given time frame. Read the post here. And more in The New York Times. Sponsored Facebook trends shouldn’t be far behind.

TV Style Programmatic

In the wake of IPG’s Mediabrands unit announcing its TV-buying platform, WPP and GroupM’s Xaxis says it’s bringing TV style buying and programmatic buying together, according to Adweek’s Mike Shields. The company claims to be working with Hulu and Viacom initially in an effort to keep the inventory premium. “It’s long been my opinion that much of the ad tech developed is wasted on direct-response marketers,” said CEO Brian Lesser. “It could be much more powerful for brands and upper funnel metrics. Right now, video is the fastest-growing part of our business.” Read more.

Instagram’s Ad Future

Instagram was a huge acquisition for Facebook, but it’s a company that doesn’t make Facebook any money yet. According to The Wall Street Journal, Emily White is in charge of taking the small company and turning it into a profitable business without alienating its coveted user base. Advertising is the logical step, but brands will want to see hard numbers, which currently isn’t possible, before they dedicate money to a free service. Read more.

Mobile DSP

Mobile marketing company Placecast — not to be confused with Placed or PlaceIQ — announced its new mobile demand-side platform, called PlaceAd, which leverages location-based data among other targeting attributes. According to the release, initial supply partners include PubMatic, MoPub and Smaato.” Read more (PDF). And read this Oct. 2012 AdExchanger interview.

Ad Countries

Speaking at Kenshoo’s K8 summit in Sausalito, Calif., on Monday, Facebook VP of Ads and Ops David Fischer says his company’s ad revenue base isn’t just about the US. The UK, Brazil, Indonesia, Japan and, yes, even Dubai are among the key contributors. Read more on Inside Facebook.

Data Bridges

Data continues to pile up, allowing extremely specific ad targeting. CRM companies will be at the forefront of this new age of data solutions, predicts Dana Hayes Jr., group VP of global partner development for Acxiom. In a column for ClickZ, Hayes Jr. points out that marketers can now target people instead of cookies. He writes, “The precision of the offline CRM is desperately needed in the online world to eliminate the waste associated with some techniques used in the advertising world today.” Read more.

Energizing Yahoo Video Screens

Energizer, the battery maker, is sponsoring Yahoo’s expanded comedy video content across desktop and mobile. The portal is billing it as the kickoff for its fall comedy season, as it looks to build out a cablelike channel of short-form videos like Tiny Commando (it was introduced at Yahoo’s NewFront presentation) and classic shows, like Saturday Night Live. “The way people consume media is changing, and the way brands participate in media consumption is evolving as well,” said Brad Harrison, VP of marketing for Energizer North America. The humor and innovation behind the Yahoo Tiny Commando comedy series is a natural fit for Energizer, and the integration within the shows creates a natural brand experience for consumers also. Read the release.

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