Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign-up here.
What They Know
The Wall Street Journal’s What They Know series continues and loosely suggests that Better Advertising co-founder Simeon Simeonov helped end a project earlier this year by Mozilla to create “do-not-track” functionality for the popular Firefox browser. In the piece, BA’s Simeonov defends his actions and says that he worried the do-not-track tool “would have broad, unforeseen impact on the consumer experience and perhaps even on the Web ecosystem.” Read more. In the concluding sentence, Mozilla vp of engineering says in regards to removing the do-not-track tool and advertising industry influence, “I wouldn’t say we are under pressure from advertisers. They are a big part of the economics of the Web. We want to understand what their needs are.”
Microsoft Addressing TV
Reuters reports that its getting into TV again and this time it’s going to be digital as addressable TV media inches closer. Reuters’ Yinka Adegoke breaks the news: “One scenario under consideration by Microsoft is to create a new TV service on its Xbox gaming console that would establish a ‘virtual cable operator.’ The service would charge a monthly fee for access through the Xbox to networks such as ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS, ESPN or CNN, according to two sources familiar with the plans.” This is an attempted end around on Google TV. Read more. Given pushback by cable operators and broadcasters to GoogleTV, this fee-based plan may be more tenable.
Black Friday Bonanza
ComScore said in a release that U.S. online spending during last Friday’s “Black Friday” holiday buying spree achieved recording numbers as $648 million was spent which was a 9% increase over last year according to ComScore. Another insight from the release: “The number of visitors to coupon sites on Black Friday grew 4 percent versus year ago to 3.6 million visitors, while the total number of visits to the category increased 16 percent to 7.4 million.” Read it.
The UK IAB’s Jack Wallington breaks down the new data-driven world of digital advertising in a piece on InPublishing. In addressing the unwashed, but soon-to-be-data-driven-masses, he writes, “By collecting audience data online, it’s possible to create an infrastructure that allows marketers to deliver messages to the same audience across multiple sites, breaking down traditional boundaries. This is creating a shift in focus among advertisers to audience, led by data, rather than being led purely by the big name publishers.” Read more.
The Digital Ad Oscars
The One Club, an advertising club in New York City, will be celebrating what it says is the best creative from the “Digital Decade” of 2001-2010. Among the top 10 is Burger King’s Subservient Chicken and a Nike Plus campaign. No display banner ads made the list. Read more from Stuart Eliot of the NY Times. And, see the Digital Decade site.
RMXer Takes Merkle Display Reigns
Megan Pagliuca, who used to drive professional services at Yahoo!’s Right Media Exchange, has joined customer relationship marketing agency, Merkle “as a vice president in the display media division, a new position focused on establishing and executing targeted display advertising for Merkle’s growing client base.” The Right Media exits continue as display ad talent is in high demand. The commitment by Merkle to display is another sign that display advertising is continuing to roll. Read the release.
Rapleaf Adding Counsel
Yesterday, CEO Auren Hoffman announced that Rapleaf hired Ken Dreifach as its General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer. Quoting from the company blog: “Ken was formerly the Deputy General Counsel of Linden Lab, operators of the Second Life virtual world platform, where he handled compliance, regulatory and strategic legal matters. Previous to that, Ken was Chief of the Internet Bureau of the Office of the New York Attorney General (2000-2006), where he led numerous enforcement matters safeguarding privacy and consumer rights.” Read more.
RMX Adding Opt-Out Choices
The Right Media Exchange blog posted its third in a series of posts about “Trust & Safety” and Yahoo!’s efforts to secure advertiser and consumer interests in the exchange. Nilesh Zacharias, Director of Platform Policy at Right Media, announces, “Before the end of the year, we expect Right Media to be able to support Control Links for Education and Advertising Responsibility (CLEAR) Ad Notice for those exchange members who participate in the industry-wide program. The CLEAR Ad Notice initiative will allow consumers to click on a ‘universal’ symbol or ad marker within the context (or proximity) of ad that will present the consumer with information about the advertiser, ad delivery company, customization company and choices about opting out of interest based advertising.” Read more.
The Power Of Display
PointRoll’s Cat Spurway offers “7 things you didn’t know display ads could do” in an article on iMedia Connection. She concludes her piece with a prediction for the coming year: “Advertising intelligence perceives the environment in real time and actively creates an ad that maximizes its chances of success. Innovation around dynamic ad generation is moving quickly and is going to be a major game changer for savvy marketers who get on board in the coming year.” Read more.
Add 1 Tbsp Transparency
Burst Media CEO Jarvis Coffin checks in with his “two cents” on the recent demand-side platform debate begun on TechCrunch and its impact on agency trading desks. In regards to Publicis and Google’s relationship, Coffin says, “Where the ad network model goes, tension goes with it. One might start to think, what’s wrong with this picture? The short answer is a lack of transparency.” Read more.
The Consolidating Supply Chain
Former Mpire CEO (and still its executive chairman of the board) Matt Hulett looks at the demand-side platform buzz and writes, “With some reports of DSPs making up over 50% of the overall $8 billion in US display advertising, Google could end up consolidating many of the players in the supply chain.” Read more. But, through acquisition or attrition.
