Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign-up here.
Display Graphics
Nothing better than some good ol’ eMarketer graphics for your PPT. How about one showing how Google and Facebook are moving into the display advertising lead? Get it here. eMarketer admitted being too high with previous estimates as Facebook’s S-1 statement gave the actual ad revenue numbers for the first time ever. Meanwhile, eMarketer has repurposed some Maxifier research, see how brand vs. DR is shaping up with agency budgets in the US vs UK. See it now.
Big Data Tool
Resonate is shifting its focus just a bit as it has raised a whopping $20 million more in funding to address “values marketing” as the company looks to take advantage of political ad budgets this year along with the needs of the CMO mixed. The company has evolved its position from “attitudinal targeting.” Read the release. The company promises “the launch of a breakthrough Big Data tool for political campaigns and corporate marketers.” Revolution Growth which led the funding will add Ted Leonsis to Resonate’s Board.
Buy Me A Car
Look at you, eBay. In a move somewhat similar to Google’s acquisition of ITA software which is the backbone of travel plans for many, eBay has bought, likely on a somewhat smaller scale, WHI, “a provider of software and digital catalog solutions for auto parts distributors and retailers.” Read about it on the eBay blog. With legacy, or somewhat legacy, software infrastructure companies floating within valuable verticals, large digital media companies continue to lurk and leverage their own capabilities – and optimize the verticals – through acquisition. According to WHI’s website, it was “founded as Wrenchead.com in March of 1999 to create a B2C ecommerce channel for traditional wholesalers.” Hang in there, startup and don’t be afraid to “pivot.”
Merging Creative With The Auction
Google is getting more aggressive about helping self-serve publishers (and advertisers). On the AdSense blog, engineer Gregory Black tells long-tail publishers about new recommendations they can receive for their placements, “To generate these new types of notifications, we use our technology to simulate the ad auction for a specific ad unit using different ad type and/or ad format settings. If our simulation shows that any of these changed settings consistently result in higher revenue for that ad unit, we’ll show a recommendation in your account.” Read it. From the sounds of it, if this simulation tool is out in the wild (available via an API), it would seem some nifty analytics or data visualization tools could be produced.
The Three C’s Of Acquisition
Raj Wilson (also interviewed on AdExchanger) takes to the SAS blog and explains about the three C’s and how they relate to the acquisition of aiMatch. He offers, “So, let’s look at specific examples or illustrations that typify each C and how analytics-powered digital advertising and marketing shifts the paradigm. Convergence…” Two more C’s to go. Read it here.
Displaying The Mix
NMA’s Charlotte McEleny says that new UK IAB and Nielsen research shows display ads for the automotive sector work, they just take a while. What’s more, the research provides an effective marketing mix formula for display, “The average customer journey takes over a week and in that time, customers are exposed to 2 display ads, 0.6 natural search clicks, 0.2 sponsored search clicks and 0.1 mentions of the brand within a social media environment.” Make it happen. Read more. And, read the UK IAB release.
Facebook Premium Ads
“Big Ads” are coming to Facebook, relatively speaking, as GigaOm gets the scoop with a complete deck showing Facebook’s new “Premium” ads. After checking it out, they’re bigger and that means the images are bigger. Facebook also claims improved performance of up to 40% to 80%. In the Facebook environment, the bigger images should no doubt help clickthrough rate as images are a trigger for CTR. There are also some “engagement” features which allow you to comment on an ad, for example. See it now. This seems removed from what a brand marketer or big brand publisher would term a “premium” offering. Will Facebook change the meaning of “premium”? Or is this an opportunity for big brand publishers to show their “premium” muscles?
Mobile-Local
Mobile ad network Jumptap is tapping the local data feed of PlaceIQ according to a release. Jumptap appears to see opportunity in local retail and has appointed a new exec to drive the business. In the release, the company claims, “The Jumptap-PlaceIQ offering will make it easier for advertisers to reach precise grids that are most likely to contain people at work, luxury shoppers, tourists, students, travelers, and more.” Read more. You can target consumers in their phones, but can you target in a location when they’re using their phones?
Privacy
You’re Hired!
- YouTube Hires Bing Exec to Lead Marketing – Ad Age
- AdRoll Hires Google Sales Director Suresh Khanna – TechCrunch
- IPONWEB appoints Brian Golbere as Lead Solutions Architect, North America – press release
- RichRelevance Appoints GM of RichRelevance Advertising – press release
But Wait. There’s More!
- Aegis acquires leading US digital agency Roundarch – press release
- Real-Time Advertising Bidding Offers Publisher Control – Folio
- Yandex Announces Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2011 Financial Results – press release
- SecondMarket to Launch Internal Stock Exchanges to Stop Talent Hemorrhage at Media Companies – Pando Daily
- Exit Interviews – Doug Weaver, The Upstream Group
- Google Shutting Down Hosted AdSense For Domains Program – Marketing Land