With all of Yahoo’s management changes, it’s no wonder there’s been speculation and reports that it would throw in the towel on competing with Google in ad tech. Right Media, Yahoo’s early play in the world of programmatic ad buying, was said to be for sale. as recently as March
Yahoo’s new message: Forget about it.
The company brought out top execs to drive home the message that new CEO Marissa Mayer is committed to keeping Right Media and devoting the resources and attention it needs to offer a credible alternative to the ad tech juggernaut Google’s built with DoubleClick and emerging players like AppNexus, The Rubicon Project and others.
“We’ve been working a lot with Marissa since she joined,” said Scott Burke, svp of advertising and data platforms, in an interview. “One thing that’s clear for us as we work is her level of commitment in investing in and being committed to the display platforms at Yahoo.” Later he added the area is “fundamental” to Yahoo’s success.
Yahoo said as much in a blog post that came out today. Its public relations team made sure the message was loud and clear by requesting interviews with reporters covering the industry. Burke spoke with Brian Silver, the executive who took over Right Media in January.
The move is in many ways unsurprising. While Mayer is widely thought to want to concentrate on rebuilding Yahoo’s Web products pipeline, she’s well-aware that the company’s greatest strengths still lie in its display advertising business. The question of whether it could cleave off Right Media, which counts on Yahoo as an “anchor tenant” for a large chunk of its inventory, was an open one if it wanted to remain committed to display as the cornerstone of its business. Moreover, former Admeld CEO Michael Barrett has elected to stay with the company in the aftermath of Mayer taking the reins. It would figure he’d push for an ad strategy that committed Yahoo to exchange buying.
Silver and Burke touted several recent moves Right Media has made to improve its exchange with added brand safety and targeting features. Right Media, while an early innovator in the field, is thought by many in the industry to lag far behind what DoubleClick is doing. The key differentiator, both execs said, is Yahoo wants to move Right Media to being a “premium” exchange. Of course, premium is in the eye of the beholder. For their part, Silver and Burke believe all Yahoo inventory, and that from partners like AOL, is “premium.”
“From an advertiser perspective, it’s sought-after named inventory they want their brand associated with,” he said.
Whether Yahoo can keep up in the area remains to be seen. Silver and Burke freely admitted the common knock on Yahoo is it tends to lack focus. That won’t be the case, they promised.
“It’s not directly a question of how much invest,” Burke said. “It’s a focus question.”
Image via Shutterstock
-
How TikTok is taking lessons from the record industry in building a media business
Much of the industry conversation surrounding the app has centered on its ads business but its the creators on it that could spring the bigger returns.
-
Why TikTok stars are pivoting to gaming
Dressler and Waud used to derive a significant portion of their income selling merchandise to their fans on tours or at meet-ups. However, as these events have been canceled due to coronavirus and stay-at-home orders, they’ve sought to find another source of revenue online.
-
TheScore CEO John Levy on why sports betting is going mainstream
Consuming sports and betting on them usually happen in two different places. "If you look at the traditional way sports betting has been launched in Europe and even in North America -- in the offshore and black markets -- how people bet is through betting apps," according to John Levy, CEO of theScore, a Canadian sports media company. Those apps aren't where betters get their actual score lines and injury updates; they're where gamblers turn to once they've watched the game or read about it elsewhere. His company is looking to bridge that gap.
-
SponsoredVideo advertisers are turning to format innovation to push beyond interruptive experiences
In a new video, experts from GumGum, The Martin Agency and Pinterest discuss the future of video advertising — and outline their vision for how video ads can be less disruptive.
-
In first-party data play, The Guardian rolls out registration wall
Registration walls make it easier to tailor content, services and advertising to readers.
-
Member Exclusive‘You have full permission to hit the reset button’: Why marketers are using this period to experiment
With coronavirus tearing a hole through the 2020 marketing plan, some marketers see room for risk.
