Industry Reacts To New Yahoo! CEO Mayer; Rubicon Project Formally Adds Mobile

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Great Expectations

In his note to investors, J.P. Morgan analyst Doug Anmuth breaks down the hiring of Googler Marissa Mayer as CEO. He writes, “We believe Mayer’s background as one of Google’s earliest engineers and her experience overseeing key products suggests the company will refocus on the user experience and pace of innovation. Importantly, we believe Mayer may also be able to attract more high quality engineering talent to Yahoo!, which we think is needed after several years of strategic and leadership flux. Mayer was with Google for nearly 13 years, joining the company as its 20th employee. Most recently, Mayer was the VP of Location and Local Services where she oversaw Google products including Google Earth, Zagat, Street View, and local search, for desktop and mobile. Prior to her role in Google Local, Mayer managed many of Google’s high profile products including Search, Google News, and Gmail.” Yahoo! is a tech-first company again? A product company, at the least. Meanwhile, All Things D’s Kara Swisher reports that interim CEO Ross Levinsohn is on his way out. Read it. Forrester’s Shar VanBoskirk doesn’t like the new CEO choice. And, read assorted Googlers reaction on Marketing Land.

Future Yield

It’s 2020. Your hovercraft is pulled over at the side of the new galactic interstate with a punctured fuel cell. You wonder, “How are my ads monetizing today?” Adchemy CEO Murthy Nukala gives four ways ads will be a-monetizing in an article on TechCrunch. The first: “Entertainment will either be monetized by the content itself (e.g., paying for a game, or for a subscription to watch a show), and/or by advertising that will be broadcast in nature. Social ads on Facebook may not drive response as much as other online channels, but Facebook’s wide reach and high traffic will make it a natural venue for brand-awareness campaigns (e.g., opening night for a blockbuster movie).” Read ‘em all.

Going Mobile

Describing its May 2012 acquisition of Mobsmith as a precursor to its foray into mobile ads, sell-side platform Rubicon Project announced yesterday REVV for Mobile, “which enables publishers to sell mobile ad inventory through both direct and indirect sales channels.” The company adds, “REVV for Mobile is available immediately to U.S. publishers, and will be available to the international market in September 2012.” Read the release.

It’s The Human

In a think piece on ClickZ, GroupNext exec Chris Copeland emphasizes the importance of the human in charge of a digital strategy. He writes,”Technology is an important part of the digital business. The tools utilized daily for search, display, social media, and every other channel are a key piece of the successes and failures of the industry. But a tool left in the hands of someone unable to understand that everyone has tools is a waste.” Read more.

“Rebate” Debate Redux

Talk of media rebates and “kickbacks” for agencies are bound to worry advertisers, but is it a bogeyman issue? Google and Vivaki were once alleged to have done it, as detailed by TechCrunch in 2010. (Both denied it at the time.) A new ANA survey examines the rebate specter and finds growing awareness among U.S. advertisers. Real examples are harder to come by. AdAge’s Jack Neff makes a call and learns, “One senior media-agency executive who asked not to be identified said he hasn’t seen any rebates being offered and certainly hasn’t asked for them, but couldn’t comment on what others may be doing.” To be safe, the ANA is urging contractual language. Read it.

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High Touch Ads

Users of tablets and smartphones both interact heavily with ads, says a new IAB study. The difference between them, notes TechCrunch’s Ingrid Lunden, has to do with content use patterns. “As we’ve seen from other tablet research, people are more likely to be using their tablets to read and consume entertainment media for longer periods of time, while smartphones are about short bursts of use.” On a smartphone? Read the post. Tablet kind of day? Download the whole report.

Targeting Olympians

Here’s a new angle on a B2B marketing campaign. CAPTCHA ad network Solve Media says it has decided to emphasize its targeting capabilities by sponsoring Olympic athletes. From the release, “the company’s capabilities align closely to both [U.S. weightlifter Sarah Robles and archer Brady Ellison]’s abilities — accomplishing massive lift and precise targeting. (…) On a mission to become the best in the world, Sarah, Brady and Solve Media make a strong team.” Read more. Who will be the first ad tech company to sponsor a New Year’s Day bowl game?

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