Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign-up here.
Koretz Sticks It To Display
Firebrand David Koretz takes out the cattle prod and says just what he thinks about display advertising: “It is easier to buy nuclear arms in the former Soviet Union than complete an online display buy.” Then Koretz lists “five key problems” that hold display back. Read more.
Ad Networks Merge, Announce DSP
Connexus Corp, owners of Traffic Marketplace, and Epic Advertising have decided to merge. In the release, Don Mathis, CEO of Epic Advertising says it all: “Delivering successful digital advertising campaigns requires scale, technology and execution. Integrating our technology architectures will provide the combined company with an unparalleled demand-side ad platform capability.” Read more about the new DSP.
AdRoll On Retargeting
Aaron Bell, CEO / Co-founder of AdRoll, which offers “cross-platform, transparent retargeting,” said in a blog post that the company welcomed yesterday’s announcement regarding self-service, site retargeting through Google AdWords as it raises the profile on retargeting services, in general. Read more.
Ipad Ad Platform
Earlier in the week, PointRoll announced an ad platform for the iPad. TechCrunch’s Robin Wauters says that Opera’s Ad Marvel mobile ad serving services will be married to PointRoll’s rich media technology. Double your platform here.
Break Media Gets Data
In a news release, Break Media announced that it has partnered with BlueKai and eXelate to “provide its advertisers with ad targeting and optimization capabilities.” Read more.
Was CPM Advisors, Now XA.net
Demand-side platform CPM Advisors has changed its name to XA.net, Inc. according its CEO Rob Leathern who said in an email, “We wanted a shorter, more memorable name for the company that will stand for excellence in advertising execution.” Read more on the name change.
More Fixing Advertising
Dapper’s Fixing Advertising event on Wednesday attracted a packed house and a packed panel at the W Hotel in San Francisco. The 6 panelists included Greg Taylor of Expedia, Yahoo! SmartAds’ Pete Kim, Bill Demas from Turn, Bill Morrison from ThinkEquity, Brad King of BlueKai and Dapper’s Jon Aizen. Get the audio download here with moderation provided by Ashu Garg. The Dapper event party is coming to Chicago in April with Chris Stevens from Orbitz says Dapper marketer Paul Knegten.
Getting Agency Ideas
How much power do clients have over agencies these days… I give you exhibit A: Allstateideaportal.com. Looking for new ideas, marketers at Allstate Insurance have created a portal to make receiving new media buying ideas from agencies even more effiicient. Feel the fever in article on Ad Age.
Leaving The Agency
Steve Ustaris, former Group Media Director at Carat Fusion, is bringing his agency knowledge to OwnerIQ, which has hired Ustaris as VP Agency Relations and Business Development. Read more.
More Leaving, Maybe Returning
AdWeek reports that Randy Browning, CEO of Publicis in Seattle, is leaving the company to “pursue other career opportunities.” Browning is quoted from an agency release, “I have decided to leave Publicis Seattle to pursue opportunities in the mobile and digital space either inside or outside Publicis Groupe.” Read more.
