Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign-up here.
The Value of Mobile
Google, one of the biggest players in mobile ads, takes another shot at persuading marketers to invest in ads for smartphones and tablets with its new “Full Value of Mobile Initiative.” Approximately “three of ten mobile searches result in visiting a store, calling a business, or making a purchase online,” writes Johanna Werther, head of mobile ads marketing at Google, in a blog post. The project includes a mobile ads calculator, videos, case studies and best practice tips. Read Forbes’ take.
Rolling Home
When newspaper joint venture QuadrantOne bit the dust last month, many wondered where its CEO Mario Diez would wind up. Diez will helm Gannett-owned rich media vendor PointRoll. It’s a homecoming of sorts, since three jobs ago he opened PointRoll’s New York office. Press release.
Twitter’s TV Ads
Hype about the “second screen” — the idea that TV viewers are tweeting and Facebook-ing about what they’re watching on cable and broadcast — has died down a bit this year. But, Twitter is apparently ready to take a formal stab according to Business Insider’s Nicholas Carlson’s two unidentified sources. For example, his sources think Twitter “can sell ads that will ‘amplify’ [television conversations on Twitter] – and get people to tune into specific TV shows” – and more.
BBBehavioral
Self-regulation is still the best way to police online targeting, according to Genie Barton, director of behavioral ads for the Council of Better Business Bureau. She tells AdWeek’s Katy Bachman, “The White House is in favor of a voluntary privacy code of conduct, so it’s unfortunate when Congress or state regulators pooh-pooh self-regulation. They should learn to work with it.” More.
Jerry’s Angels
On his Reaction Wheel blog, Neu Ventures’ ad tech angel investor Jerry Neumann uncorks a post about the vagaries of angel investing. Speaking to fellow “angels,” he states, “The [startup] founder who is willing to take your money regardless of anything else you bring to the table is the founder who can’t get money from anyone else. This means one of two things: 1) You are smarter than all of the other investors and see something they don’t, or 2) The company is not a great bet.” Read more.
Levinsohn’s New CEO Gig?
The Wall Street Journal says that Guggenheim Partners, whose media division is led by former Yahoo CEO Ross Levinsohn, is making a play for video site Hulu. The WSJ adds, “News Corp and Walt Disney Co., which each own about one-third of Hulu, haven’t made a firm decision to sell to an outside player. Another option they are considering is for one to buy out the other’s equity stake.” Read it. Is Levinsohn just a chief-executive-in-waiting at Guggenheim while the deal closes in Hulu-land?
Arbitrage Is War
On his personal blog, current Verve Wireless product dude, Brent Halliburton, takes readers inside “The War Room” of his bygone Ad.com days. He writes, “The War Room was an all-hands meeting that happened every day at 9am. It was a 30 minute review of the previous days results. The CEO attended, the COO attended, everyone attended – almost every day. This was a powerful, powerful message. Advertising.com was (is) a performance advertising network – we were arbitrageurs.” Read the gore.
Programmatic Markets
In a company blog post, Nexage’s Victor Milligan identifies “six factors that shaped other trading and transaction management markets and relates them to ad tech” as he looks for the elements of a liquid (good) programmatic media marketplace. And then, he offers a “programmatic markets” definition. See it now.
Arbitraging The Risk
Publisher Rance Crain of Crain Communications reviews the agency trading desk concept in a think piece on Crain’s Ad Age. He asks, “Now the question is: When agencies purchase media, do they use ‘pooled data’ to enhance the value of the media buys as well as pooled media money from all their clients?” He sees risky arbitrage maneuvering on the service side. Read it.
But Wait. There’s More!
- How Online Comments Are Becoming A Big Business – ReadWrite
- Online Sales Tax Wins Support In Congress – Internet Retailer
- What Agencies Want From Twitter – Digiday
- DEALTALK – All the newspapers fit to be sold– Reuters
- Wal-Mart Steps Up Its Online Game With Help From Stores– Reuters
- Is Centro Planning An IPO?– Crain’s Chicago Business
- Dentsu Completes Aegis Acquisition– Adweek
