Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign-up here.
Venture-Backed Exits Up
Dow Jones VentureSource has already released a review of 1st quarter venture activity for 2010 and identified among other findings that “Eight U.S. venture-backed companies raised $711 million by going public on U.S. stock exchanges, matching the number of initial public offerings (IPOs) that occurred throughout 2009.” What do the next 3 quarters hold? Read more. Jessica Canning, research director for Dow Jones, states, “We are seeing a trend toward quicker exits.”
Brands As Ad Networks
Cameron Hulett, SVP of pub development at Acceleration, a UK-based ad network, says that its time for a new breed of ad networks – “super-brand ad networks.” Hulett says these new networks are “an extension of the existing vertical ad network concept, but with the backing of a significant brand behind it.” Now brands have their own ad networks! Read more.
Privacy Rate Card
Alan Pearlstein offers a rate card on his Cross Targeting blog which he thinks could solve concerns around consumer privacy and interest-based advertising, a.k.a. behavioral advertising. He offers three tiers and concludes, “I believe the vast majority of consumers will select interest based ads, AND it will be completely opt-in.” Read more.
Miguel Helft of The New York Times reports that Yahoo! is partnering with content provider Healthline Networks to beef up its health content. Helft says that Yahoo!’s health content has not been particularly strong among the company’s many content verticals, but undoubtedly seeing pharma dollars pass them by, Yahoo! is now looking to Healthline. Read more.
Hi5 Gets $3 Million
The social network, Hi5, has raised funds in the form of a $3 million convertible note from an existing investor, Mohr Davidow. According to TechCrunch, Hi5 says that this is one element of a bigger Series B round of investment which is imminent.
Read more.
April Fools Display
AdMonsters announced on its blog that display advertising has been solved. AdMonsters’ Rob Beeler writes, “The company X, formerly known as The Doubleyieldmeldmatictail Project, has been working secretly for months with a select group of agencies and publishers to beta test their products, BUD (Buy Unifying Delivery) and BUD Light Systems. The product is now out of beta and ready for installation.” Sounds delish!
33Across Interview
It’s from early last month – but not out of date! An interview by BusinessWeek writer and author, Stephen Baker, with CEO Eric Wheeler who dives into the social opportunity which 33Across is trying to unlock. Wheeler says, “When we identify someone that is strongly connected to a particular product, we find they can be 5x more likely to purchase that product.” Listen to more.
X+1 Interview
X+1 data guru Ken Rona gives a video interview to Capture The Flag and discusses his career move from being a sound engineer way-back-when for artists such as LL Cool J to getting his PhD and pursuing his marketing analytics interests today. See it. Props to Rona for drinking a cup of joe from East Village NYC coffee shop, Mud, in the interview.
IPad Ad Fever
The Wall Street Journal reports that advertisers have been knocking each other in order to get some sort of branded app on to the Ipad. Read more. It’s unclear if these marketers know they could just target the device through display ad networks and reach users through the iPad’s web browser.
Sunbeam: Nielsen Can’t Count
Audience numbers from a reputable source are important. But, sometimes people question “the count.” Sunbeam says that Nielsen is not counting the Miami audience accurately and it has cost the Sunbeam’s Fox TV affiliate big dollars – consequently, it’s time to visit Judge Judy. David Goetzel of MediaNewsDaily writes that if this goes to trial, “Nielsen would face testimony alleging that it functions as a monopoly that overcharges networks and under-counts viewers.” Read about it.
