Today, a new ad technology start-up, TapAd, announced its formation and its list of investors which includes well-known entrepreneurs from AppNexus, Clickable, Simulmedia and more. In the press release, the company positions itself as “the first real-time advertising platform for iPhones, iPads, Androids and smartTVs.” Read the release.
Are Traasdahl, CEO of TapAd and former CEO of Thumbplay, briefly discussed his new company and his views on the mobile ad space.
AdExchanger.com: Your group of initial investors contains several well-known digital ad tech players. Why choose them? What is the total raise?
AT: We are very excited to partner with some of the most incredible online ad tech and mobile entrepreneurs. They have shaped the online and mobile
industries, and we are humbled to have them help us go after this big
opportunity. We are not disclosing the funding amount at this stage.
Can concerns around tracking be balanced with the need for better targeting in mobile?
Finding that right balance is very important in the mobile space. The mobile phone is a highly personal device, so the consumers’ interests will need to come before the advertisers’ and even better if the advertiser can provide the consumer with convenience or value. We believe that anonymized targeting can be done to protect user privacy while still improving the quality of advertisements for users and improving the value for advertisers.
Why is the DSP model good for mobile?
Real-time, data-driven audience buying has been a massive trend in the online ad market the last few years, and it has increased efficiency and targeting in the ecosystem. We believe the mobile space will benefit from this same efficiency, so we have built technology to allow for this type of buying in mobile. The end result will be higher ROI and efficiency for advertisers, more relevant advertising for users, and better monetization for publishers.
How will you differentiate TapAd?
We plan on sharing more product and technology details in the next release, so coming soon!
What’s your view on mobile advertising, in general? Is it “here”, next year, etc.?
I’ve been in mobile since 1998, and for the last 12 years, we have all been saying, “Next year is going to be big”. Now it’s finally happening.
Last year, there was huge growth on the mobile advertising side, and usage of smartphones and tablets is continuing to explode. Ad spend ultimately follows eyeballs, so if we are able to recreate the sophistication you see in online ad tech in the mobile space, the mobile advertising will hit mainstream soon.
By John Ebbert
