Tinder To Get Ads; BlackArrow Seeks VOD Monetization

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

Dating Native Ads

The free dating app Tinder, owned in part by IAC, will eventually feature ads, executives said on an earnings call. One option, according to IAC’s Greg Blatt, would be native advertising. As Re/code’s Peter Kafka reports, two networks have already experimented with running campaigns on Tinder through the use of fake dating profiles for the shows’ characters, but no money was made. Read the rest.

New Acronym

Monetizing video on demand has been a struggler for networks, but BlackArrow is working to solve that problem through use of Nielsen’s “On-Demand Commercial Ratings.” BlackArrow provides a technology that allows current ads to be inserted into older shows, thus making video on demand more appealing for advertisers. According to the release, Nielsen tested its new ratings product with Comcast in late 2013. Read the release.

Dinner And A Show

Hulu is serving up a new type of direct-response ad that allows viewers to order pizza while watching videos. This is among many types of interactive ads that advertisers can customize, according to The Wall Street Journal’s Jack Marshall, reporting from the Upfront. Hulu is also dropping the subscription requirement to use the service on mobile, opening up yet another revenue stream. Read more.

Changing Perspective

Digital is disrupting traditional agency processes, as noted by Doug Weaver, but there is opportunity in the chaos for media agencies, publishers and sellers. Some advice from Weaver: Agencies should stop focusing on “big ideas” and be more nimble, and sellers should focus more on agency connections than RFPs. Read on.

But Wait. There’s More!