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Media buyers' favorite ad networks
By Blaise Nutter
February 25, 2009
Article Highlights
- Check out a company that's tapped into the dialogue of niche thought leaders
- Read about a network that does the heavy lifting for its buyers
- Learn why one media buyer says transparency isn't always required
It's a jungle out there, if you pardon the expression. Ad networks are a dime a dozen, and with online advertising dollars heading south quicker than the Icelandic stock market, it's becoming increasingly difficult for new ad networks to break into the online landscape and get attention from top-flight media buyers.
"There are so many ad networks out there, it's almost a joke that they all look, and sound, and smell the same," Jocelyn Griffing, senior VP and director of online marketing at ICON International, says. Yet, despite the crowded marketplace, ad networks have become an indispensable part of any online advertising strategy over the last decade. They provide media buyers with an efficient and cheap way of reaching a huge audience, whether for brand building or customer acquisition.
So with the buyers and the demand out there, ad networks are necessary -- for now. But how does an ad network break through all the noise? And what virtues stand out in the minds of media buyers?
I spoke with a few top media buyers about their impressions of the ad network market, and shockingly, they all had very particular ideas how fledgling ad networks (as well as giant ones) could get their attention.