Amazon Ad Platform Buzz; Omnichannel

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

Amazon’s Ad Platform

Amazon knows its data trove could make it a major player in digital ads — either as a data seller, ad network, or even exchange platform. But will it pull the trigger? MIT Technology Review takes up the question, speculating that current retargeting efforts could turn into something more. “Now it has developed an in-house platform for targeting ads to people who have visited and then left Amazon’s sites, making it likely that the company will open up these advertising services more widely over the next year.” Proof? Sorry, no. More.

Tablet Touch

On iMedia Connection, OnSwipe COO Richard Bloom makes the publisher case for optimizing tablet experiences. He writes, “Publishers, like the early film business, need to realize that the tablet isn’t just another screen they can post content on. Instead, it is a unique platform that lends itself to specific action — touch.” Read more.

Real-Time Culture Shift

Traction CEO Adam Kleinberg had some moments to spare as he was watching a stream of Monday’s Presidential Inaugural coverage and decided to share some thoughts about the cultural shifts within the ad industry being wrought by real-time. “To say we’re becoming technology platforms seems like a misnomer,” Kleinberg wrote on a company blog post. “It’s a different business model. Not a bad one. Not an unattractive one. But not the same. One of the core values I think we deliver as an agency is objectivity. If we started pushing technology, we’d be in danger of losing objectivity.” Read the rest.

Ad Network Founder Fun

Adbrite co-founder Philip Kaplan has launched a new commerce channel for his social network for musicians, Fandalism. TechCrunch reports his company is effectively operating a cheaper way of doing business with iTunes for musicians than other competitive aggregators: Fandalism’s cut is lower if not eliminated in certain cases. Let’s see … cheaper access to “premium” (iTunes) inventory? Sounds like another take on the ad network model to me. Read more.

Facebook Related

Forbes’ Anthony Wing Cosner says that Facebook’s “Related Posts” feature in its News Feed may be misleading users. He reference a blog post by developer Craig Condon and writes, “As Condon suggests, “The only way to prevent re-posted content is to unlike everything.” And as Facebook continues to abuse the Like function, or to allow (or at least be unable to prevent) third-parties from abusing it, many users may find themselves doing just that, or ditching Facebook altogether.” Read more.

Connecting The Atlantic

While The Atlantic Monthly has been the poster child recently for what can go wrong with native advertising, M. Scott Havens, the media company’s president, has his mind on larger digital matters. In a Q&A with Nicole Duhring, assistant web producer for the Washington Business Journal, in response to “what’s the No. 1 issue affecting the media industry today?” Havens says, “In my mind, it’s the rise of media consumption through ‘connected devices’ (mobile, smartphone, tablets, etc.); 25 percent of The Atlantic’s digital traffic is occurring on these devices, and the technology and business model isn’t quite there.” Read more.

But Wait. There’s More!