CPX CEO, Mike Seiman, predicts the future of display advertising…

As I sit at my desk, a little bored towards the end of a long Wednesday, I decided to just ramble off points about what I think will happen to DSPs and ad networks in the next 24 months in 10 points:

1 – All agencies will own a DSP, and if you are a DSP and not owned by an agency, you will wash away.

2 – DSPs will become less and less relevant, as exchanges begin to build more intuitive interfaces for themselves.

3 – CRMs will be created to manage all exchanges that will be licensed, and not take a % of media, making all agencies realize they might have made a mistake buying a DSP and not waiting.

4- Exchanges will never break out of the lower end of the ad chain, and it will still continue to be Direct Sales/Ad Network/Exchange.

5 – Agencies and advertisers will soon realize they cannot execute an effective campaign utilizing exchanges, and while it’s a nice addition to running a campaign, it can never make a campaign. Therefore, ad networks will still be the best alternative to direct media buying.

6 – Ad networks will continue to innovate, in terms of plugging into exchanges and supply side platforms, to build custom audience segments using data. This will finally be perceived as of tremendous value for agencies and direct advertisers.

7 – Supply side platforms will still exist, and become more and more like exchanges, and less and less like ad networks.

8 – Ad networks will buy more and more unique inventory by arbitraging site traffic at proper cpms, ensuring publishers they will get what they need for their inventory.

9 – Publishers will start to see the real value of ad networks as they gain higher cpms from them. They will also realize that an exchange cannot give them control over cpms, and therefore will only put bottom of the barrel inventory on them.

10 – The ad network and agency relationship will go back to the way it was before all the exchanges and DSPs, except now the ad networks will be back on the cutting edge and continue to innovate for agencies and direct advertisers.

CPX Interactive is a major supporter of the IAB Long Tail Alliance, and we strongly encourage becoming a part of this innovative group.  One of the many benefits of joining the Alliance is the wealth of webinars they offer. Three webinars will be offered in April. Read on to find out more about them, and click here to register:

April 1^st
Noon EST

Title: Audience Measurement and Monetization for Publishers – Beyond Email
Presented by Datran Media

Description: During this IAB webinar, Datran Media Chief Revenue Officer Sean O’Neal will present strategies and guidance for publishers seeking to best leverage email and other digital marketing technologies to drive strategic business growth. The webinar will first familiarize publishers with strategies focused around the inbox.  O’Neal will then discuss complementary channels to ensure publishers are maximizing both their investment and return. Attendees will walk away with knowledge, case based information and immediate actions they can take to advantage their business.

April 15^th
Noon EST

Title: DIY Web Banners: Easy Self Serve Banners to Monetize Your Inventory
Creatives on Tap Presented By Theorem

Description: Learn how to leverage innovations in self serve banner building technology that allows your advertisers to build interactive banners in less than 5 clicks. Monetize your inventory while keeping costs low and driving higher CPM’s.

April 29^th
Noon EST

Title: Marketing Your Site to Maximize Revenue
Presented by Burst Media

Description: The presentation will address items a publisher should do on their own and when working with third parties to truly market the value of their site.  We’ll review best practices for media kits and marketing collateral, how to position their audience to advertisers, what types of new creative executions are getting attention, and how site design can impact monetization.

According to President & CEO, Jarvis Coffin, it’s a busy place at BurstMedia these days, as people look to monetize greater portions of the Internet.  CPX Interactive’s COO & President, Rob Rasko sat down with Coffin at the IAB Leadership Meeting to talk about changes they expect to see in the industry in 2010. Coffin’s company is very comfortable with their longtime business model, principally representing long tail websites, and feels confident in their knowledge of the vast reaches of the Internet.

One of the hot button issues for 2010 is the concept of more intrusive advertising, as discussed in IAB Chairman, Dave Moore’s, keynote speech at the event. Coffin understands Moore’s message of thinking ambitiously and aggressively, but believes there is a middle ground. He stressed the importance of remembering that this is a consumer driven world, and therefore a common ground must be found in order for consumers to embrace the ad messages they see. Coffin also pointed out that it’s possible to be intrusive without being obnoxious, and he believes that the best way to stay on the right side of that line is by making creative a priority.  He sees targeting as an opportunity to be multidimensional, and put the message into context through strong creative.

Coffin and Rasko discussed the ad network race, in which Coffin feels the end user should be the winner. However, he thinks some work still needs to be done for that to be the case in the media business. Burst’s customers are publishers, and when Coffin takes a look at the value chain, he sees publishers getting less than what they deserve. This is something that needs to be corrected, and Coffin predicts publishers will take steps towards change, including starting to insist on fewer and fewer network relationships. Although the two leaders disagree on the value of exclusivity, they both see a marketplace with less ad network players as a positive in the future.

In October, we wrote a post about our support of a great new group called the IAB Long Tail Alliance. Today, we wanted to provide some more information on the benefits of joining. So,  here are a few things you should know about the Long Tail Alliance:

• Founding members include: AskTheBuilder.com, Condo.com, DailyMe.com, Destructoid.com, Elfster.com, HowStuffWorks.com, Muxlim.com, PetStyle.com, PrimaryGames.com, TopTenReviews.com, VegSource.com and more.
• Alliance members have the opportunity to participate in webinars designed specifically for long tail publishers to grow their business.
  • The next round of webinars begins February 18th and will be lead by IAB member company, TrustE.
  • The first webinar is entitled: What You Need To Know About Privacy–Challenges and Solutions
• Membership in the Alliance is open to any publisher that sells directly, indirectly, or through a network, and has revenues of under $1 million.
• Enter the promotional code CPXLTA to reduce the membership fee from $250 to $100!!

Visit the Alliance website to find out more about the IAB and the Long Tail Alliance.

Get to know Mike Farber, Senior Sales Director of Publisher Development. Find out about his favorite industry event, his international adventures, and more…

1.  Who are you and what do you do here at CPX?

As Senior Sales Director of Publisher Development, I am the direct contact between our publishers and CPX.

2.  What kinds of things do you do on a normal workday?

Aside from maintaining our current relationships, I am responsible for seeking new opportunities and developing relationships with publishers we do not actively work with. My main objective is to educate the market as to who CPX is and how we can add value to their respective businesses.

3. What drew you to the field of online advertising?

Online advertising is a fast paced industry.

4.  What has been your favorite industry, or CPX sponsored, event you have attended?

Although it wasn’t a CPX sponsored event, I’d have to say the Circus Party at Ad:tech San Francisco 2009. It was definitely the most unique party I’ve been to, featuring people on trapeze, fire breathers, and countless other circus-related acts.

5.  You love traveling and adventure; tell us about your most recent trip.

My most recent trip was to Belize. I slept in the jungle for three nights, and a tiny island off the coast called Caye Caulker for four nights. Overall, it was an epic journey of adventure consisting of climbing waterfalls in a cave, repelling 300 feet into a sinkhole, snorkeling with sharks, scuba diving at the second largest reef in the world, and hiking through the jungle. I topped off the trip with nice food poisoning and almost getting bumped off my flight because they overbooked, but it was still a great time!

Next week, CPX will be exhibiting at and attending ad:tech NY for the fifth year. New York is one of ten ad:tech shows that are put on each year in seven different countries.  For more than ten years, ad:tech has provided an opportunity for brand advertisers, agencies, portals, online publishers and technology providers to come together, network and learn. Each conference features keynote speakers, panel discussions and hands-on workshops on topics ranging from search to behavioral targeting.

Attendees are also given the opportunity to have a place in the exhibition hall. For the first time this year, ad:tech New York will be held at the Jacob Javits Center. CPX Interactive will be at booth #1500. Be sure to stop by and say hello!

In his article Online Ads Not Working for You? Blame the Creative, Kunur Patel discusses a study that finds that ad placement may be less important than design when it comes to making the big impact that advertisers want. We agree completely.

CPX has been developing conversion-oriented creatives for clients for years. We regularly find that creatives we develop for advertisers have significantly higher click-thru and conversion rates than creatives they have run in the past. While online delivery is focused on numbers, metrics and technology, it is important to remember that there are still underlying principles of advertising that apply.

Among Patel’s suggestions: Highlight the brand throughout the ad, Make each second count, and Stay simple.

Read more here.

The IAB Long Tail Alliance is a new program that focuses on serving the needs of smaller publishers, and making sure that they derive value from their relationship with the IAB. CPX Interactive is a major supporter of the Long Tail Alliance because we believe that publishers of all sizes have a role to play at the table when it comes to issues that significantly affect the industry as a whole.

Benefits of joining the Alliance include:

• Learn from the pros in exclusive seminars designed specifically for long tail publishers.
• Get invited to special events.
• Be part of IAmTheLongTail.com.
• Protect your business.
• Network with your peers.
• Get noticed!
• Receive special pricing on insurance, TRUSTe and more. Plus receive discounts to IAB Events and Professional Development.
• Participate in Webinars like Legal Affairs Best Practices for Small Publishers on October 23.

Online Ad Network, CPX Interactive, lends voice and thought leadership to PubMatic’s Ad Revenue 2009 in NYC

October 5, 2009 – (New York) CPX Interactive continues its role in defining the online advertising landscape later this week with a sponsor and speaking role at PubMatic’s second annual Ad Revenue Conference taking place on October 8th in New York City. With a focus on increasing online ad revenue by premium publishers for remnant or non-guaranteed inventory, the conference promises to address many of the hot-button issues floating around the industry. CPX is a sponsor of the all-day event, and CPX Interactive President & COO, Rob Rasko, will be participating in a panel entitled: The Blurring Lines of Ad Exchanges, Ad Marketplaces and Ad Networks.

Other speakers at the event include; Bill Wise, VP and General Manager, Ad Platforms, Yahoo!, Jeff Green, COO, AdECN/Microsoft, and  Joe Mandese, Editor In Chief, MediaPost.

Regarding his role on the panel, Rasko explains, “There has definitely been a blurring of the lines within the industry. I’m not sure it’s a bad thing, per se, but it probably has confused many advertisers and publishers, alike. Ultimately, regardless of what a model calls itself, it has to add value to the system and we think that the best way to do that is to stay plugged into what the industry is saying and asking for. This conference and panel are great tools to accomplish that.”

PubMatic is a global Ad Revenue Optimization company that works with premium online publishers to manage and monetize non-guaranteed ad inventory. CPX has been working with PubMatic for a number of years.

“CPX is proud to be a sponsor of this conference as we work in conjunction with quality companies such as PubMatic to develop strategies which effectively maximize the value of Publishers non-guaranteed advertising inventory,” said Mike Fleischman, EVP of Business Development at CPX Interactive.

CPX Interactive offers publishers a choice of Reach, Content, and Premium networks, and monetizes 100% of its publishers’ inventory, serving impressions across more than 3,400 websites.

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Contact:

Samantha Karol
Senior Marketing Assistant
CPX Interactive
(516) 693-0758
SKarol@cpxinteractive.com

Get to know Ansel Olson, CPX’s West Coast Account Manager, as he shares about his past work experience, favorite CPX event, and what he loves about the LA team.

1. Who are you and what do you do here at CPX?

As the Account Manager for the West Coast office, I am responsible for providing premium customer service to each advertiser/client brought forth by my premiere sales team. I work closely with the VP of Sales and the Director of CPM Operations to optimize all campaigns and provide innovative ideas for upcoming strategies. I also serve as the conduit of information between the East Coast operations, trafficking, and account managing teams, and the West Coast office. In a nutshell, I enjoy being part of a team that helps advertisers get their message across, while optimizing every moment of it.

2. Before you joined CPX, you worked in special events and in the entertainment industry. What drew you to online advertising?

After years of producing special events on a business-to-consumer level (Hollywood nightlife, restaurants and fashion), I found myself eager to learn all aspects of the business. When an opportunity popped up with CPX Interactive, I jumped at the chance to work for a company that has so much influence in the online realm. Not only do we work with thousands of publishers, we also work with dozens of brand advertisers – it’s an exciting thing to be part of. I decided then that it’d be easy to leave the Hollywood glitz and glamour for the CPX reach and advertising clamor.

3. You went from working for a publisher to working for an ad network. How has your prior experience helped you in your current role?

As the Marketing Director of LA.com, the entertainment portal for the Los Angeles Daily News, I had the ideal opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the publisher side. The fact that I was able to have a “hands on” experience is a great asset when meeting with agencies and their respective buyers/planners. After all, some wise person did say that “knowing is half the battle.” Also, having a close relationship with the amazing CPX publisher team dually helped me with publisher recommendations and suggestions for various campaigns. I feel that my experience on the publisher side has definitely given CPX an edge with our West Coast clientele.

4. What has been your favorite industry, or CPX sponsored, event that you’ve attended so far?

Hands down(!), I feel the inaugural CPX Beach House event at the Manhattan 6-Man Volleyball competition this summer was my favorite industry event. It was CPX & Southern California at its finest. Not only were we able to thank our clients for their business, we were able to celebrate our relationship by really making a day out of it. It had all the makings of a great summer day: a few blocks from the ocean, BBQ, drinks, A/C, Wii, music, and thousands upon thousands of excitingly creative beach volleyball fanatics. What I found most amazing was the fact that our guests were having a great time throughout the event and we still hear about how much fun they had. The fact that this event made such a positive impression on everyone made it my favorite for the year.

5. How would you describe the LA team? What is the dynamic like in your office compared to New York?

First of all, I’d like to insert laughter after reading this question (after jokingly being advised to choose his words wisely). The East Coast team is amazing, and I can’t speak to their day-to-day dynamics as I am only there a few weeks a year (ahem). We, at the West Coast office, are a much smaller team and are in very close proximity to one another on a daily basis. This allows us to really keep a close eye. We’ve definitely become like a tight-knit family, and that makes it easier for every industry social event to be an opportunity to represent CPX as a potential business partner to our Agency neighbors. I can say that we are definitely a breath of fresh air to the West Coast online media scene, and with the tutelage of our leadership (here and on the East) are always prepared to place CPX ahead of the competition.