If you don't control local media inventory, you can't deliver the goods, say the networks. How does a portal that sells local targeting to advertisers respond? Well, Yahoo was the only one that did.
What types of local properties do you work with, and in what size markets? What level of targeting can you do beyond geo?
In terms of geographic targeting, Yahoo offers both contextual placements in properties such as Y! Local, Maps, Yellow Pages, Classifieds, et cetera, as well geographic overlays across Yahoo's overall network. With these overlays, advertisers can reach audiences in specific states, DMAs or small regions as defined by ZIP code. Yahoo offers a very broad array of audience definition choices that may be used with these local audiences, such as demographics (age and gender), behavioral (shoppers or engagers), connection type (dial-up or broadband) and many more.
What types of special advertising "products" or unique campaigns can you get for advertisers?
Some examples include couponing and promotions, property sponsorships or integrations, customized targeting or analytics/research.
A specific example would be a product Yahoo developed in conjunction with AC Nielsen called Consumer Direct, which directly targets consumers by what they are likely to purchase in addition to traditional demographics. Most CPG brands have "most valuable customer" (MVC) targets that tie the value of a consumer or household to purchasing. For example, the MVCs for a mayonnaise brand could be households that purchase at least 50 ounces per year. In traditional media, these targets are converted into demographics such as women, ages 25 to 54. Consumer Direct, however, uses the Nielsen Homescan purchase data to create the exact most valued target that the client is trying to reach. By targeting the ads, same level of online advertising yields a greater sales impact. Consumer Direct's ability to measure the offline sales impact has provided CPG marketers with what they've been hoping for-- a strong rationale for the increased use of online advertising.
What types of ad units do you sell?
Yahoo offers all types of ad units-- rich media, video, text-based ads. Yahoo also recently acquired AdInterax, which enables it to provide marketers with a self-service platform for rich media creative assembly and campaign management. Yahoo follows the IAB standards for our ad units.
What types of advertisers do you work with?
Yahoo works with a large majority of the AdAge Top 100 advertisers and offers marketers a broad array of innovative solutions, including customized research. These marketers span many vertical categories-- finance, travel, autos, consumer packaged goods, pharma, tech and telco, retail and entertainment.
How do advertisers know where their ads are showing up?
If advertisers buy contextually, they are buying specific areas of the site so they know where their ads will be. If advertisers are using behavioral targeting, geo-targeting or demographic targeting, they are buying audiences that can be reached across the Yahoo network.
How can you slice up your network?
Yahoo's platforms allow for explicit targeting -- demographic, geographic, contextual and behavioral -- enables marketers to reach their key audiences efficiently. In terms of geographic targeting, Yahoo offers both contextual placements in properties such as Y! Local, Maps, Yellow Pages, Classifieds, et cetera, as well geographic overlays across Yahoo's overall network. With these overlays, advertisers can reach audiences in specific states, Designated Market Areas or small regions as defined by ZIP code.
How do you differ from your competitors?
"With the world's largest online audience, Yahoo is uniquely capable of providing marketers the most relevant audiences of scale because of the size, depth and breadth of our audience," says Richard Frankel, Yahoo's senior director, product marketing. "We aggregate a huge audience with our products and services, which in turn makes our inventory incredibly valuable to our advertisers (who we, in turn, constantly drive to provide with the most effective marketing tools and solutions). That is a key differentiator for Yahoo-- our growing and lasting relationships with our users create a very unique opportunity to provide them with useful and relevant marketing messages in a way that is very difficult to replicate for a company without those user relationships."