Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign-up here.
Certification And Self-Regulation
MediaPost’s Wendy Davis reports that the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) will roll-out its second wave of strategy around self-regulation today as it will “launch a program to certify that online companies are in compliance with self-regulatory guidelines.” In addition, Better Advertising will officially be declared the winner in the self-regulation solution competition, but the “i” may get a makeover. Read more.
WSJ Looks At Cookie Data And Minors
In a long-rumored article which was finally published late Friday, The Wall Street Journal continues its “What They Know” series and focuses on the use of cookies (known as “tracking tools” in the series) as it relates to teens, children and online privacy. The WSJ’s Steve Stecklow finds that cookies are used when children and teens use computers, too, and says, “Many kids’ sites are heavily dependent on advertising, which likely explains the presence of so many tracking tools. Research has shown children influence hundreds of billions of dollars in annual family purchases.” Read more.
Mobclix Acquisition Rumors
Mobile ad exchange Mobclix (AdExchanger.com Q&A) is in talks to be acquired by an unnamed company according to TechCrunch’s Mike Arrington who prognosticates, “RIM is apparently looking for a mobile ad network as well. And you can’t rule out HP, who has been on an acquisition tear. Another possible buyer could be an large advertising company who wants to add a mobile ad exchange in house.” Read more.
David Segal looks at what it takes to be the “perfect entrepreneur” in The New York Times. He writes, “The attributes that make great entrepreneurs, the experts say, are common in certain manias, though in milder forms and harnessed in ways that are hugely productive. Instead of recklessness, the entrepreneur loves risk. Instead of delusions, the entrepreneur imagines a product that sounds so compelling that it inspires people to bet their careers, or a lot of money, on something that doesn’t exist and may never sell.” Read more.
Yahoo! Continues Open Mantra
In a Reuters interview, Yahoo!’s Carol Bartz reiterated what she and Yahoo! have said previously in wanting an “open” ad ecosystem. This time she aims at Apple and its iAd platform: “That’s going to fall apart for them. (…) Advertisers are not going to have that type of control over them. Apple wants total control over those ads.” All Things D’s Kara Swisher notes with a screenshot, Yahoo still buys iAds anyway.
BrightRoll Exchange Sees Growth
Video ad network BrightRoll announced that “in the month of August alone, more than $1 million in video advertising inventory was purchased through BRX,” the BrightRoll Exchange which just launched (AdExchanger.com Q&A). The release notes partners Media6Degrees and ContextWeb are using BRX to extend their own offerings. Read more.
Mobile Ad Exchanges Taking-Off?
On the heels of the announcement by Microsoft that it was launching a RTB-enabled mobile ad exchange, Gartner VP and analyst Andrew Frank looks at whether digital advertising is ready for the mobile ad exchange model on the Gartner blog. He points to the marketer’s need for scale as a significant challenge in mobile, but offers, “So, what will it take for mobile ad exchanges to take off? Look for it when Google integrates AdMob mobile inventory into its AdX online display exchange.” Read more.
Online, Offline Symbiosis
In “How to measure online actions in offline dollars,” MediaMind analyst Ariel Geifman looks at how the U.S. Government’s recent “Cash For Clunkers” program translated into offline sales as well as doubling in conversion rates for automotive ads online according to MediaMind research. Read more. Digital works.
TubeMogul ComScore-ing
TubeMogul has anted up with ComScore and, according to a company release on Friday, “PlayTime, TubeMogul’s video advertising platform, premiered on comScore today, ranking number two in Potential Reach among ad-focused sites in Media Metrix for the month of August. Read more.
Google Launches Affiliate Program
From the Inside AdSense blog, Erica Sievert for Google Affiliate Network Team announces that the company has re-launched (last existed in 2008) an affiliate program with needy, big brand AdWords advertisers waiting for publishers to insert their AdSense code and start accepting affiliate campaigns. Sievert says, “We have a diverse range of advertisers who run successful affiliate programs through our network. Just a few examples include Target, Barnes and Noble.com, Blue Nile, Verizon Wireless, Aéropostale, and Wedding Channel Store (The Knot).” Read more. A commenter on the SE Roundtable blog notes that it’s a great time to be an advertiser if you qualify for this program.
More RTB/DSP Talk
ContextWeb announced its own Advertising Week panel to take place on September 30 at the Paley Center in New York City. Titled “ATD, RTB, DSP, WTF: Is Everyone A Media Trader?,” the panel includes Paul Dolan of WPP’s The Media Innovation Group, Neeraj Kochlar, President at MDC Partners’ Varick Media Management, CEO Brendan Moorcroft of IPG’s Cadreon, Kurt Unkel from Publicis VivaKi Nerve Center and Nate Woodman of Adnetik. Read more and request an invite.
British Gov’t Getting Into Tech
As part of UK Trade & Investment’s efforts to help UK-based companies succeed globally, the governmental group is presenting an overview on the UK opportunity on October 12 in New York City. The invitation reads “This presentation is relevant to those companies looking to expand the client base to the UK and Europe.” Get more info (PDF).
Googler Hits Jackpot Again
Alarm Clock reports that Motorola’s purchase of location-based services firm Aloqa is another home-run for former Google head of product marketing Sanjeev Agrawal who is CEO of Aloqa. Alarm Clock writes, “[Agrawal] took a risk when he bailed on Google (…), but the gamble seems to have paid off. Agrawal left for TellMe, which was bought by Microsoft for $800M in 2007. In 2008, he took over as CEO of the Germany-founded firm Aloqa. Now Motorola has bought Aloqa GmbH, and Agrawal will be VP there. No one is saying how much Motorola paid Aloqa.” Read more.
1/2 of Yahoo!
Yahoo!’s nearly 40% stake in Chinese e-commerce Alibaba Group is starting to wear thin for Alibaba’s management according to an article in The Wall Street Journal. Rumors have Alibaba wanting an IPO and re-acquiring its stock from Yahoo! before any offering. According to the WSJ, Yahoo’s share price was $13.89 on Friday and “Yahoo’s stake in Alibaba is worth more than half Yahoo’s current market value of around $19 billion.” Read more.
You’re Hired!
Media6Degrees has hired a new Chief Revenue Officer as Richard Kosinski gets the nod. Among other accomplishments, Kosinski was “Yahoo!’s first business and finance category development officer and co-founded Yahoo! Politics, the political advertising unit designed to help political candidates and advocacy organizations take full advantage of digital media,” according to the release. Read the release.
InterClick Secures Credit Line
InterClick says that its preparing for growth as it forgoes its previous credit line based on accounts receivables and “has secured a $15 million loan and security agreement (the “facility”) with Silicon Valley Bank (…) The company also announced it will be using SVB’s cash management services for the majority of its operating needs, effective immediately.” Read the release.
