Facebook Ads Under Magnifier; App Marketplaces And Amazon

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

Studying Facebook Ads

A new survey on Facebook ad efficicacy leaves the reader wondering – just wondering – because there are so many opinions on whether the ads work or not Ad Age’s Michael Learmonth introduces the results of the study crafted by his publication and Citigroup: “When it comes to Facebook, the nation’s marketers have reached an overwhelming consensus: you simply have to be there. Unfortunately for Facebook, they also have reached another: advertising on Facebook isn’t necessarily required.” Read more.

Platform Parallel

Interesting parallels to the data-driven ad world appear in a Wall Street Journal article about Amazon’s Marketplace which is populated by small businesses. Much like any disruptive platform, Amazon offers small businesses a chance to take advantage of its technology (shipping, etc.), but after a while, Amazon may end up jumping into a market and doing it even more cost effectively through its scale and technology. The app-driven marketplace is a push and pull between big platforms and the ecosystem it needs in order to thrive -and sometimes eat. From here, Facebook, Twitter and AppNexus are also examples. Read more.

Adding To The Holdings

AdKeeper is taking steps with its Keep Holdings strategy and earlier this week acquired an email tool called Unsubscribr for one of its holding company products, TheSwizzle.com. AdKeeper’s MaryAnn Bekkedahl tells AdExchanger: “Our purchase and integration of unsubscribr.com into TheSwizzle.com is part of our founding strategy to enhance the engagement between consumers and brands. In this case the enhancement is giving consumers control of years of unwanted commercial email.” Read the release.

That Sucking Sound Is Yield

The content marketing tech field has added another competitor as former DailyCandy chief Pete Sheinbaum has launched LinkSmart. “The web version of Get Smart,” you ask? Hardly. The linking toolset is intended for “audience development managers and yield optimizers at a publishing company” who are looking to improve the user experience when it comes to link management. Read more about the company and its recent funding on TechCrunch.

Moving The Media Planner

On ClickZ Hollis Thomases provides a primer for media planning on YouTube. Though a bit more complicated than the TV world, media planning online will be driven by data and undoubtedly automation will help unlock the audience buying possibilities of every placement. Read it.

Spiraling Display

Appssavvy co-founder and CEO Chris Cunningham says on iMedia Connection that display advertising pricing declines need to be reversed – and can. But first he asks, “When new quality inventory is available on either web or mobile, why is the industry so slow to jump in? Why are the largest platforms that create new inventory that performs not better able to drive demand for something better?” And he answers here.

NBCU’s Streaming For Gold

The network expects to net nearly $1 billion in ad spending for the 17-day Summer Olympics in London — and at least a small amount of that could come from the extensive amount of live digital streams NBC Universal will be showing. Adweek’s Anthony Crupi notes that at some points, there could be 40 events being streamed at once. It could allow for better targeted ads, as swimming contests may draw different viewers than track and field. Read more here.

NYT To Open China Site

The lure of luxury advertising — not to mention a growing middle class amid economic uncertainty just about everywhere else — has led the NYT to prepare to debut a China-based site. Although the news site will be based in China, ad sales will still be run out of the New York headquarters. Even before the launch, marketers such as Bloomingdale’s, Salvatore Ferragamo, Cartier have lined up to appear on the site. Read more.

Privacy