Apple’s Limit Ad Tracking (LAT) feature is about to have a few more limits in iOS 10. Although Apple has allowed users to opt out of seeing interest-based advertising since iOS 6, vendors and advertisers could still use device IDs for functions like frequency capping, attribution, debugging and fraud detection. No longer. In iOS 10, […]
There are lots of private marketplaces for mobile inventory out there. On Tuesday, Adsquare launched a PMP for mobile data. Supply-side players like PubMatic, Rubicon Project and Adform already allow buyers to bid on inventory in a private deal. “We’re enabling data owners to decide who can make use of their data,” said Adsquare CEO […]
Musical.ly is mainly known as a lip-syncing and video sharing app popular with teens, but it’s starting to sing a different tune and expand its user base. “We’re probably that lip-syncing app you hear about from your niece or nephew,” said Kevin Ferguson, director of sales and business development at Musical.ly, which allows users to […]
It’s video FTW for Opera Mediaworks. Reporting earnings under Opera Software for the final time – the sale of Opera’s consumer-facing browser business is expected to close by the end of September – Opera Mediaworks on Wednesday cited a 23% increase in Q2 revenue year over year to $114.4 million. That number represents the lion’s share of […]
The shopping app Ibotta, which gives users cash back for purchases, has streamlined app-to-app buying. Tech from deep-linking vendor Button now allows Ibotta users to make purchases from apps in Button’s network, which includes Hotels.com, Groupon, Jet and Spring. Ibotta hopes to connect commerce apps into an easy-to-use marketplace. While it’s easy to link and […]
When it comes to doling out rewards, app developers like Hothead Games walk a fine monetization line. “You want to give meaningful rewards without hurting your economy,” said Kenneth Wong, senior monetization manager at Hothead, which makes a number of sports-themed and first-person shooter games for mobile. While advertising is part of Hothead’s monetization mix, […]
The Knot’s audience is engaged – literally. Eight out of 10 couples in the US – around 12 million monthly uniques – visit the wedding planning site for advice while getting ready for the big day. But The Knot has transformed itself over the last three years from an online publication to what Mike Steib, CEO and president […]
Entrepreneur and investor Peter Pham knows teens, and the term “native advertising,” like, totally makes him roll his eyes. “I’m sick of hearing the word ‘native’ because nothing I’ve seen in the market is actually native to the experience,” said Pham, co-founder of Science, a tech incubator with a knack for getting startups off the […]
African mobile network Econet Wireless will pre-install Shine’s ad-blocking tech for 40 million subscribers across Zimbabwe, South Africa, Burundi and Lesotho. The deal, revealed Thursday, represents the Israeli startup’s third public telco partner and its second full integration. Although Econet will pre-install Shine’s network-level ad-blocking technology for all of its subscribers, government regulations require Econet […]
Regardless of their size, carriers are actively looking for new ways to monetize – selling text-and-talk plans alone isn’t cutting it anymore. Mega telcos are clearly cooking up plans for incremental ad-related revenue, as evidenced by Verizon’s multibillion-dollar acquisitions of AOL and Yahoo. But small, specialized telcos like Life Wireless are also turning to advertising to […]
“Angry Birds” maker Rovio Entertainment knew the sheer size of its user acquisition tactics was making it a sitting duck for ad fraud. “With a name like Rovio, the ad exchanges see us as having big potential for them,” said An Vu, Rovio’s user acquisition lead. “They often want to sell us a lot and […]
If a picture is worth a thousand words, Lux is hoping video is worth a conversion. The home decor and interior design shopping app, which launched July 2015 on iOS and Android, sees a 30% higher engagement rate on autoplay video than on static product photos. “Facebook has proven that autoplay video can be quite […]
Reuters hopes its TV app is the opposite of a traditional TV-based news consumption experience. It’s an algorithmically generated and editorially curated video package for the cord-cutting generation. “It’s clear that the concept of what makes TV, well, TV is changing,” said Isaac Showman, managing director of Reuters TV, which positions itself as a product […]
Although Opera Mediaworks is no longer packing its bags and moving to China, newly minted CEO Will Kassoy is still bullish on the opportunity there. “China is a huge market for advertising,” said Kassoy, who took the reins from former company chief Mahi de Silva in December after roughly two years as CMO. Kassoy joined […]
If you’re a developer looking to monetize and attribute spend across devices, Facebook and Google might soon become the only shows in town. “Bummer,” called out an audience member at Grow.co’s MAU event in New York City on Tuesday. As programmatic buying grows on mobile, so does the need for an analytics infrastructure that traces […]
Sprint is starting to see the mobile wallet as a natural complement to and extension of its native app. Mobile wallet is on a user’s device by default – Apple Pay on iOS and Android Pay on Android – which creates a lower barrier to entry for brands that don’t have an app or want […]
It’s been a bumpy road for Fiksu – from app marketplace rock star to ad tech cautionary tale – but now comes the next chapter. On Monday, the mobile app marketing platform, which was acquired by private equity firm Noosphere in early June likely as part of a fire sale, announced that it’s splitting itself into four […]
Kiip is having its moment. The mobile rewards platform announced its $12 million Series C on Tuesday, bringing its total funding to $32 million. Led by new investor North Atlantic Capital with participation from US Cellular (also a new investor) and existing investors Verizon Ventures, Relay Ventures, HWVP and True Ventures, the cash is destined to […]
Deals fall through all the time. But the failed acquisition of Opera’s ad business could be a signal that China’s western buying spree is liable to hit a few regulatory snags. In February, a consortium of Chinese companies, which comprises mobile game maker Kunlun and security software provider Qihoo, announced its intention to buy up all of […]
App users that don’t convert or engage in some way are not healthy for a developer’s bottom line. On Monday, Facebook rolled out a product to help publishers attract users that are most likely to keep using an app after they download it. Facebook also expanded dynamic product ads and its full-screen mobile ad unit, […]
The “one-size-fits-all marketing epitomized by the TV upfronts is out of step with the way people consume media in the market today,” said GE CMO Linda Boff at the second annual AppFronts hosted by General Electric on Thursday in New York City. The event invited 13 apps to pitch themselves to marketers. Even though people […]
Early Wednesday morning, a week after the initial US launch of Pokémon Go, a small milling crowd formed outside Barney Greengrass, an iconic Upper West Side Jewish deli and a “PokéStop” – a real-world location anchored in the augmented reality game interface. It’s not unusual for queues to form for bagels and smoked fish, but […]
Augmented reality seems to have hit its mainstream stride with the runaway popularity of Pokémon Go, and users are having a blast – but location-based marketers are also getting pretty stoked. “This is like the best high-profile marketing campaign for location intelligence that anyone could ask for,” said Foursquare president Steven Rosenblatt. For those living under […]
Now available on your mobile device: all the crummy, spammy experiences you’ve come to expect from desktop. Shady affiliate marketing tactics are a particular annoyance for publishers and users alike, especially forced redirects that unexpectedly shunt users to an app store, either by way of an intrusive popup or a mobile webpage overstuffed with display […]
Through a growing number of API partnerships, car service companies like Uber and Lyft are broadening their reach across the app ecosystem. “With the proliferation of companies in the rideshare space, we’ve [seen] huge demand for people to want to move around,” said Vishay Nihalani, senior product manager at Lyft. “It’s like a basic human need at this point.” […]
App publisher Betternet is eschewing banners in favor of native because the results are better and the experience is less annoying for the user – but getting enough quality demand can be a challenge. “This year I observed that the fill rate for most of the ad networks we work with is sometimes even less […]
When StickerRide talks about driving impressions, the word “driving” is literal. The Moscow-based startup, which launched in the US on Tuesday, offers a platform that enables the drivers of private cars to turn the sides of their vehicle into ad space. It’s a bit like outdoor on the go. US CEO Christian T. Lundgren describes […]
InMobi was the first mobile ad network to get whipped by the Federal Trade Commission under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) for tracking geolocation without parental consent – and it’s not going to be the last. “What happened here is a wake-up call for regulators,” said Allison Fitzpatrick, a partner in the advertising, […]
Mobile search has become a cornerstone of Reckitt Benckiser’s ecommerce strategy. “Mobile commerce is increasing exponentially, which is why it’s so important to reach people when they’re down the funnel and actually trying to buy a product,” said Shubhankar Goel, associate brand manager of ecommerce at Reckitt, which owns household brands like Lysol, Airwick, Mucinex, […]
Independent mobile supply-side platforms (SSPs) are going extinct, the result of commoditization and natural evolution. “It’s been really hard to be a single-point solution player in the ad tech space for a long time, but now it’s almost impossible,” said Christopher Hansen, chief product officer at IgnitionOne. “Just take a look at the Terry Kawaja […]
