LinkedIn Isn't Done With Ad Tech; Stentrant Calls Out Academ Media On Fraudulent Ads

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

B2B Dream: Still Alive

According to marketing product chief Russell Glass, claims of the demise of LinkedIn’s ad tech road map have been greatly exaggerated. Turns out company CEO Jeff Weiner created a misunderstanding when he told investors last week the company would shutter its Lead Generator and Network Display products. On the contrary, Glass says, “We will … continue to invest in helping clients reach valuable LinkedIn audiences offsite with a focus on native ad formats and mobile.” In other words, it’s all about B2B ads in the feed. Read the whole thing. And read AdExchanger’s coverage of Weiner’s comments.

Mobile Fraud Claim

Online security firm Sentrant has accused Russian app developer Academ Media of fueling mobile advertising fraud. Sentrant claims Academ, which has 1,000 employees, used more than 20 shell companies to install invisible ads in some 200 apps in the Google Play store, generating at least $250,000 in revenue per day. The fraudulent code seems to specifically target a MoPub loophole, disguising fraudulent clicks in the Twitter app exchange. More in the Financial Times. Sentrant CEO Allen Dillon tells the FT that “this is as bad as any financial crime going on worldwide.” Academ media denies the allegations, and Twitter and MoPub declined comment.

Paywall Vogue

Starting next week, Wired will give online readers three options for consuming its content: (1) View our ads, (2) pay a buck per week for an ad-free version or (3) don’t let the door hit ya’ on the way out. “It’s the kind of move that was widely predicted last fall after Apple allowed ad-blocking in the new version of its mobile software, but most publishers have shied away from it so far,” writes Joshua Brustein of Bloomberg. Condé Nast, which publishes Wired, has the luxury of running different strategies across its properties, and Wired (with more than 20% of readers blocking ads) is in the trenches. Read on.

In The Red

YouTube Red, the platform’s $10-per-month, ad-free subscription service, debuted to much fanfare last October. This week, reports Sahil Patel at Digiday, the platform will launch its first slate of original programming and conduct its first subscription marketing push. “YouTube hasn’t put any marketing dollars behind YouTube Red. That will change as the first of its original films and series roll out.” Its promotional push will include YouTube promotion (no surprise) as well as some TV ads. More.

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