Mobclix Co-Founder Krishna Subramanian discussed his mobile ad exchange its new sell-side platform functionality. Read the release. (Mobclix was acquired by Velti on October 1.)
AdExchanger.com: Why are you calling this a supply-side platform for mobile? What happened to “the exchange?”
KS: Mobclix is a mobile ad exchange that allows demand partners to reach mobile supply – in other words, we are now allowing partners to reach our mobile supply using real-time bidding (RTB). Mobclix does not currently provide a bidder for demand partners to use to bid on Mobclix RTB inventory.
Will ad networks, DSPs be able to map a user from, say, a PC-based display ad impression to an impression on the Mobclix exchange and then bid in real-time? If so, how are they able to do this for mobile?
This is exactly what many data providers and cross platform marketers envision. The problem here is we are still missing the bridge that connects mobile data to online data. In an ideal world, Amazon would notice a user browsing a book on their mobile app and then target an ad to that same user for the same book when they are browsing a website on their computer.
What types of controls will publishers specifically have in the RTB auction?
Publishers can control which demand partners can access their inventory and how they monetize it. Publishers have the ability to set floor rates on inventory and run direct campaigns at certain price points. They also have control over the type of ad creatives that can run on their inventory: rich media, full screen interactive, text, banner, etc. Allowing publishers to benefit from pricing advantages that come with fluctuations in demand will also help drive a fair market value for that specific inventory.
How is the Mobclix RTB auction different than other mobile RTB-enabled exchanges such as Microsoft‘s?
The Mobclix RTB platform allows demand partners to reach inventory across iOS, android and WP7. Marketers know the audiences they want to reach and those audiences span across multiple devices, carriers and operating systems.
Mobclix is unique in that it enables demand partners to leverage rich media (e.g., video and HTML5) while using RTB. Mobclix has always been mobile focused – it was built for the mobile ecosystem and how developers integrate the ad experience into mobile. Most RTB platforms today focus solely on the technology, but what’s important is that the demand has the capabilities to be mobile, immersive and engaging – and more importantly that the demand sources understand how to maximize it.
How will the Velti acquisition of Mobclix impact development of the mobile ad exchange or sell-side platform?
Mobclix continues to focus on the supply side and allows any demand source to reach that inventory across the exchange. RTB is just a new access point on the Mobclix mobile ad exchange.
Do you have any sense of how RTB will impact yield for publishers on a percentage basis?
A recent Mobclix survey of marketers and ad networks revealed that early adoption for RTB on mobile will garner more traction due to the success seen online. We expect total mobile inventory bought with RTB to be 10 to 15 percent of total ad buys for 2011. The RTB system will give publishers complete control over every impression so they can maximize revenue, monetize relevant audiences beyond typical strategies and achieve eCPM lifts of 40 to 85 percent over non-bidded inventory.
By John Ebbert
