CPX’s COO & President, Rob Rasko, recorded this message for the OM Expo, which took place in Madrid at the end of February. He begins in Spanish and later switches to English, as he talks about ad networks, platforms, CPX Interactive and the future of online media buying.

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After his keynote speech at the IAB’s Annual Leadership Meeting last week, IAB Chairman Dave Moore took the time to speak with CPX COO & President, Rob Rasko.  Moore talked about the event, his first as chairman, and the great opportunity to network, exchange ideas, compare problems and seek solutions together.  He discussed the issue of self-regulation and the importance of educating legislators about how the Internet works, stressing that, especially in an economy that is still recovering, the last thing the industry needs is legislation that hurts business.

In addition to serving as Chairman for the IAB, Moore is also Chairman and Founder of 24/7 Real Media.  When asked how 24/7 plans to affect the market in 2010, Moore referred back to a prediction he made in his keynote: that demand side platforms would become a service to every major agency. He discussed 24/7’s position as the inventors of the first demand side platform, known as B3, before the term was even coined, and the growth that platform has already experienced. This year, they plan on continuing to play a major role in driving the WPP digital strategy.

Rasko asked Moore to weigh in on the importance of service versus technology, and he explained that the two are intertwined: technology drives the effectiveness of a product.  He also talked about integrating technologies and making them available on a seamless basis with the goal of being able to target as well, if not better, than anybody else in the industry.  Moore believes that this integration and seamlessness would also be extremely helpful in dealing with different types of ad formats. In terms of more intrusive ad formats, which continue to become more prevalent, Moore feels that consumers will become comfortable with them over time. He likens their initial dislike to the first time radio and television programs were interrupted by advertisements, and stresses that although it will be an adjustment, consumers will learn that they have to accept it if they want to continue to get content as inexpensively as they have been getting it in the past.

Touching on a couple of the things IAB President, Randall Rothenberg, talked about in his interview with Rasko, Moore discusses the Networks and Exchanges Committee and the issue of free versus premium content. He explains that the major objective of committee’s recently established guidelines is to give advertisers additional comfort and insurance that their ad is going to be run in the right type of environment for their product.  When it comes to pay walls, Moore supports premium content, and believes that providers need to find other ways to generate revenue outside of advertising. Destination sites, he says, need to figure out new and different ways to syndicate their content so they can reach greater audiences.

Overall, Moore is looking forward to the future. He calls this the beginning of the ‘Golden Age of Internet Advertising,’ and is very excited to be a part of it.

Last week, the IAB held its Annual Leadership Meeting: Ecosystem 2.0.  CPX Interactive recognized that this would be a great opportunity to hear from the thought leaders in the industry, and was glad to sponsor Scribe Media’s video coverage of the event. CPX COO & President, Rob Rasko, had a chance to speak with Randall Rothenberg, President of the IAB, on a variety of topics.

Rothenberg looks forward to 2010 as a year of economic recovery. He believes that agencies and advertisers will be forced to take digital more seriously, despite their fears, as it becomes more mainstream.

He discusses two important growth areas for 2010, which he considers on the opposite ends of the spectrum. The first is an increased focus on mobile. Rothenberg cites the acquisition of AdMob by Google, and Quattro by Apple as evidence of a shift in focus. CPX can attest to this shift firsthand, as we have recently formed a partnership with Nexage to expand our reach to WAP sites and mobile apps. What Rothenberg finds most interesting is that mobile devices are being viewed by marketers as the bridge between brand advertising budgets and consumer advertising budgets.

The reinvention of the television screen as a fully interactive HD device is something else Rothenberg looks forward to this year. He believes that as the interactive television develops, it will cause brand advertising to flow like “nobody’s business” into interactive media. Rothenberg explains that companies and executives are starting to adapt to the obvious reality that the Internet is a disruptive medium.  There is an imbalance between supply and demand that is putting pressure on classic CPM prices for class forms of display advertising, so business models have to change and adapt, he says. The biggest change he sees is the realization among companies that they can either make technology their friend, or it will be their enemy.

A member of the IAB’s Network and Exchanges Committee, Rasko asks Rothenberg about self-regulation, and the guidelines recently released by the committee. Rothenberg reflects on how much the public dialogue and support have increased over the past few years. The IAB is seeing an enormous amount of support for things like their Privacy Matters pro bono ad campaign. At the same time, Rothenberg stresses the importance that every company in the media and advertising/marketing industry (not just interactive) recognize that the threat of really bad regulation by regulators or politicians who don’t understand the business and aren’t necessarily willing to learn. In addition, it is also important for these companies to participate in very strong, very aggressive, independently enforced self regulation in order to prove that they are worthy of the consumers’ trust.

Although he feels like there has been a good deal of support from politicians, Rothenberg has also observed quite a lot of intentional fear mongering taking place in Washington. For example, phrases like “consumer data” are being enflamed, even though it has existed for 50 years. What people aren’t told is that “consumer data” includes such things as IP addresses that allow people to connect to the Internet. Rothenberg also touches on the topic of the dreaded use of cookies. He explains that unless cookies are used, the consumer will be overwhelmed with advertising, and refers to legislation that would limit them as the Spam Reinvention Act of 2010. Both Rasko and Rothenberg understand the need for greater education about the interactive industry. Rothenberg says we have to get a lot better at explaining the basic business operations and technological underpinnings of the interactive business.

In the next part of the conversation, Rothenberg expands on the keynote speech of IAB Chairman Dave Moore, explaining his own view on the direction the Web will take in the future in terms of free and paid content.  Rothenberg refers to himself as a “flaming moderate” on the issue, and explains that he has always believed that it doesn’t have to be one or the other. There are thousands of variations and possibilities in terms of hybrid models of free and paid, and there are ways that both can be used to drive positive user experiences and positive business results.

Rasko introduces the concept of “coopetition” that he has observed among the members of the IAB, and Rothenberg expresses his gratitude for the efforts of members working together to help the IAB operate successfully.

Watch the video above for more from Rasko and Rothenberg, and stay tuned for much more from the event in the coming days.

New York, NY, January 30, 2010 — Global online ad network, CPX Interactive, has announced the creation of a formalized Advisory Board and the board’s first two members; Andrew B. Rosengard and Robert F. Hussey.

Read more about Rosengard, Hussey, and why we decided to form an Advisory Board in the official press release.

Read COO Rob Rasko’s Q&A for the Online Advertising Blue Book, where he talks about CPX Interactive’s place in the ad network universe, and his thoughts about the future.

In International news, CPX Interactive had the pleasure of exhibiting in Milan, Italy at the IAB Italy Forum, November 3-4. IAB Italy is known as the most important online advertising event in Italy.

With more than 4,000 attendees and 60 sponsors, the Milano Convention Center was packed with media-owners, advertising agencies, media agencies, researchers and publishers.

This was the second year CPX Interactive attended this event.

“There is a lot more energy here than last year,” said Rob Rasko, President and COO of CPX Interactive.

The CPX Interactive Italy Team includes: Country Manager, Massimo Fontana, Publishing Manager, Cecilia Sandrucci, Sales Director, Marco Viscardi, Sales Manager, Raffaella Doronozo, Sales Account Manager, Mariano De Luca and Marketing Intern, Francesca Alberti.

From November 3-4, CPX will exhibit at the IAB Forum Milano 2009 in Milan, Italy, hosted by the Italian branch of the Interactive Advertising Bureau. The conference, which will take place at the Milano Convention Center, focuses on the topics of innovation and competitiveness, as well as the role of the Internet for Italian companies. Check back for more information on CPX’s involvement in this event, and watch the video below to see our COO & President, Rob Rasko, speaking at last year’s forum:

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.

###

Contact:

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

This was supposed to be the year when ad networks would cease to exist, and when publishers would cut their ties. But, not only have we survived, we have also prospered.  In an article on MediaWeek.com, Mike Shields explains that although the poor economy has lessened demand for traditional use of display ads (branding), it has also caused a shift toward performance advertising and audience targeting, which gives ad networks a leg up in the industry.

Some larger, top tier publishers have made claims against the use of ad networks. However,  Shields explains that due largely to what he calls  “a growing bifurcation” in the online ad market between low-end and high-end inventory, “sites that are ranked below the top five or ten in a particular category simply can’t ditch ad networks.” Furthermore, a recent survey of online media’s major players showed that ad network use is on the rise.

Although the predicted “ad network shakeout” hasn’t happened, ad networks are still taking the opportunity to reevaluate and ensure continued success for the rest of 2009 and beyond. CPX COO & President, Rob Rasko, addressed what conscientious ad networks can do to accomplish this goal.

In his blog post entitled “6 Things Smart Ad Networks Should Be Doing to Ensure Success in 2009,” CPX Interactive President, Rob Rasko, lays out a road map of priorities for those members of the ad network community that want to stay ahead of curve and define the industry landscape. Reading the post, it becomes clear that the unifying concept behind all 6 of Rasko’s suggestions is a new level of openness and communication between parties, as well as a focus on service.

He explains:

While it would be easy for ad networks to sit back on the successes of the past few years, I believe that this is the perfect time for ad networks to challenge ourselves to rise to the next level of innovation and collaboration with others in the industry. We should also take the opportunity to focus on the level of service we provide for our advertisers and publishers.

You can read the entire article HERE, but the outline of his suggestions is below:

1. PROVIDE PRODUCT VARIETY
2. COMMUNICATE THE FINANCIAL VALUE OF AD NETWORKS
3. MAKE BEST PRACTICES A PRIORITY
4. PRACTICE DUE DILIGENCE WITH PUBLISHERS
5. INITIATE SYNERGY WITHIN THE ONLINE ADVERTISING SPACE
6. ESTABLISH TRUST AMONG ADVERTISERS

READ ROB RASKO’S FULL POST