Publicis Gets Even More Digital With Rosetta; RTB Upfronts; Opening The Algo Kimono

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

575 Million Smackers

Publicis has acquired the largest independent, digital, ad agencies left in Rosetta writes Ad Age’s Rupal Parekh and Kunur Patel. They add, “The deal means the third-largest agency holding company (Publicis) now owns three of the 10 top digital shops by 2010.” Rosetta cost a mere $575 million. According to the release, Rosetta is ” a profitable agency which has nearly 1,100 team members serving clients from 9 offices and with expected revenues of nearly $250M in 2011.” Read it. It would be interesting to see a media buying tech company acquire a digital agency. Layer the agency clients on top of the tech and drive revenues faster. The much-more valuable tech company stock could close the deal along with an ante from salivating venture partners.

The RTB Upfronts

In a think piece on ClickZ, Adnetik CEO Ed Montes writes about how TV upfronts could use a little dose of real-time bidding magic to overcome the existing systems inefficiencies. But then Montes adds soberly, “Before my digital brethren rejoice or heap praise upon one another, we should note that the RTB marketplace lacks the required liquidity for perfecting pricing and often lacks the requisite transparency.” Read more about the new valuation.

Algorithm Fun!

Reflecting on his speech at the IAB’s Networks and Exchanges Marketplace in NYC this week, Doug Weaver zeroes in on the algorithm as he admits, “Given the technical acumen of the group, I thought it best to come clean with them: after 17 years in this business, I’m still pretty fuzzy about what exactly an algorithm is.” But what he does know is -the “Dougarithm”! See the video of his IAB presentation.

More Vertical Ad Networks

Evolve Media, which is the parent of site rep firm Gorilla Nation, just can’t help itself when the idea of creating a vertical ad network comes along. In February, the company announced the acquisition of vertical publishers focused on console gaming. Yesterday, the company announced Globetrotting Digital Media (GDM), a travel vertical ad network, described as “able to serve as a premium partner to advertisers looking to execute on custom display, video and sponsorship driven branding initiatives, while at the same time offering the contextual reach and performance that is found through traditional vertical ad networks.” Note the “custom” component. Vertical ad networks are getting into guaranteed inventory if they haven’t been already. Read the release.

More Exchange Data

On the OpenX blog, the company released new data from its excgange, as OpenX GM of Media Services Qasim Saifee was presenting the IAB Networks & Exchanges conference in NY. According to OpenX, their exchange includes, “450 Million global unique users; 180 Million US unique users and 30 B Monthly Impressions.” I’d assume the unique user numbers are monthly. Read more and get the publisher and advertiser downloadables.

This Was Supposed To Be Addressable

All Things D’s Peter Kafka interviews CEO Dave Morgan of TV targeting company. Morgan reveals that being a TV startup, if you will, is a whole other ballgame. Morgan says, “I had some assumptions that there were things that had not happened in television because people didn’t understand the changes, and they were Luddites and didn’t want to change. The closer I’ve gotten into the marketplace, I realize they absolutely know what’s going on–they’ve made very calculated decisions.” Read more and see the video.

Data Can Be Cheap

Gavin Dunaway writes about recent news on the data front in Adotas: “Rapleaf’s latest public appearance is courtesy of Forbes, which got its hands on the pricing data for segmentation data. It’s an eye-opener, but not because of the initial squeamishness.” Dunaway quotes Forbes reporter Kashmir Hill about the squeamishness who says, “What may surprise you is how insultingly cheap the intimate details of your life are.” Read more.

Fight The System

CEO John Ramey of publisher, self-service ad server isocket is the featured entrepreneur of the day on Vator.tv. He laments the most frustrating aspect of being an entrepreneur in an interview. Ramey says, “Frustrating: the ‘system’ is designed to encourage doing what everyone else is doing (‘it subsidizes mediocrity’) yet the whole point is to do something fundamentally different. So even within this land of innovation, you’re still fighting an uphill battle.” Read more.

Yesterday’s CEO Tweets

Interclick CEO Michael Katz tweeted yesterday that there’s a similarity between a resemblance between Robert DeNiro and TidalTV CEO Scott Ferber. You decide.

But Wait. There’s More!