Facebook Growing Slow In Europe; Twitter Adds New Targeting Options

Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign-up here.

No Longer Emerging Markets

In a look at Facebook’s international ambitions, Reuters reports that Europe is the company’s slowest-growing market, while Asia is its fastest-growing. Facebook is building products specifically for Asian markets, including India, and sees the expanding of regional advertisers to Western markets as a big opportunity. According to its head of marketing, Carolyn Everson, “The next 1 billion consumers are going to come from these countries.” International contributed 51% of Facebook’s ad revenue in Q1. Read it.

Twitter’s Targeting Update

Twitter added some targeting capabilities for mobile app marketers. With installed app targeting, Twitter hopes to help advertisers reach users based on the types of apps already installed on their devices. Financial services app Acorns is one firm trying it out. According to marketing director Sami Khan, “We are now able to combine not only what users are talking about but focus on those that have already-relevant apps on their phones, thus making our ad dollars even more efficient.” Read the blog post.

Lies, Damn Lies And Self-Reported Financials

Rubicon Project got some unwanted attention in a WSJ story on the sometimes large discrepancies between startup braggadocio and post-IPO reality. Back in 2010, the company claimed profitability and forecast a $200 million run rate for 2011, but later, disclosures revealed just $37.1 million in revenue during 2011 and a net loss of $15.4 million. According to the Journal, “Todd Tappin, Rubicon’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer, says it was common in 2010 for advertising technology companies to cite numbers that reflected all the ad transactions made on their networks.” Read it.

IPO For Quantcast?

Quantcast tapped Stephen Collins, an experienced digital ad CFO, to run its financials. Perhaps best known for having overseen DoubleClick’s financials in the run up to its IPO, Collins was also CEO at Bazaarvoice when an FTC lawsuit forced the company to undo its acquisition of PowerReviews. More in the release.

Music’s Booming Market Cap

On the heels of a $526 million round, Bloomberg reports that Spotify is now valued at a whopping $8.5 billion. Spotify is ramping up its content offering as it braces for the impact of Apple’s newly debuted music streaming service, which surfaced Monday at the Apple developer conference. The good news for Spotify is that its user base is growing at a quick clip; paid subscribers have increased by 33% since the end of 2014. The company is moving slowly on targeted ads. A future revenue lever, perhaps?