A two-part plan
1. Buy an existing ad network
The IAC media properties are great, but most brands and agencies want to simplify their buys. The more distribution options, the better the offering. Imagine an ad network that you could buy that had the benefits in pricing of an ad network and the ability to exclusively access those well-known online brands.
So which ad network should IAC buy? Specific Media is the one that I would go after. I have worked with more than 40 different ad networks, and they are not all created equally. The quality of the staff, the technology, etc. vary greatly. You have to find someone who has worked with all of your contenders. What they promise, and what they can deliver, vary greatly. You have to go after an ad network that has higher quality sites in its network to complement the IAC properties. Buying an ad network gives you access to the expertise, both in terms of technology and ad sales. IAC Ad Solutions isn't currently an ad network as much as it is a grouping of disparate sites cobbled together haphazardly. Specific Media is one of the best. Now, can Diller afford it?
2. Use search data
IAC has one of the biggest advantages over any ad network out there. Why? Well, they own Ask.com -- a treasure trove of more than 25 million users a month. These are topical keyword searches and specific keyword searches. And those users go all over the web, hence the need to expand beyond just IAC properties and purchase an ad network.
Imagine targeting anyone who typed in "mortgage" across the internet for display. Imagine what agencies and advertisers would do to translate their SEM buys into actionable display campaigns. It is a veritable gold mine.
But what about privacy? Ahhh... to hell with privacy. You all know it's an illusion anyway, right? Privacy is a red herring, a canard. The truth is the credit card companies know what you buy, the DVD store knows what you rent and TiVo tracks you in four-second intervals. What do you think the potential is for that data?
The truth is your name has been sold more times than you can count. Privacy? Just accept that you don't have any. Look, I support privacy efforts from the consumer end when it affects important issues like healthcare. But consumption behaviors? Please.
The reality is that IAC offers some of the best privacy against this in the world. Ask.com has a product, AskEraser, that will anonymize your searching on Ask.com. You don't want to be tracked or used for those purposes, just press a button. One button.
Don't count IAC out
Those two steps may be a tall order but it would put IAC back in the big game. They have already consolidated their systems on Atlas, the groundwork is set. Audience Cubes may be slapping fresh paint on the car and adding cool rims, but they may end up being much more powerful in the long run than you think. IAC has the potential to really challenge the infrastructure of online advertising, if its reorganization is done right. They have the brands, and they have Barry Diller, and I bet he has a few more tricks left up his sleeve.
Sean X Cummings is a marketing specialist.