Yahoo Launches Smart Ads
Duncan Riley
31 comments »
Yahoo has announced the launch of Yahoo SmartAds, a new advertising platform that delivers tailored display ads to highly targeted audiences.
The new service automatically converts creative campaign elements and offerings into highly customized and relevant display ads by delivering ads according to the Web surfer’s age, gender, location and online activities.
An example given by Yahoo of the new service:
“If a user is browsing for hybrid cars in Yahoo! Autos and has selected San Francisco as their default location in Yahoo! Weather, Yahoo’s SmartAds platform can assemble and deliver a display ad in real time that showcases a hybrid vehicle from a major auto brand, as well as local dealer information and current lease rates….providing a relevant experience to the user and allows the marketer to reach a user who is likely to become a customer.”
Yahoo Smart Ads is the natural next step forward in contextual advertising delivery. The new service will drive new business to Yahoo, however improved targeting alone does not create a market leader; it’s only one part of the contextual advertising jigsaw puzzle. Scope is still Google’s key selling point; as long as Google offers a superior inventory, Google will continue to lead the field. Yahoo Smart Ads will drive further innovation in the space; Google is bound to offer a similar service in response, and ultimately this is good for all advertisers.
Previous Yahoo Search Marketing coverage here.
“Ideally, advertising aims at the goal of a programmed harmony among all human impulses and aspirations and endeavors. Using handicraft methods, it stretches out toward the ultimate electronic goal of a collective consciousness. “
Online ads should be more precise like that. I am interested to see how google’s response will be, centaily it will not just a simple copy, so what will it be?
Mr. list
the scary part is that the better these ads get, the more Big Brother like they become
This is a step in the right direction for Yahoo! They have heaps of data on personal usage of their network and they should leverage to serve up the right ads.
This is a behavioral or profiling targeting system and has very little to do with contextual targeting.
With a smart advertising platform being Big Brother, there is the potential for abuse (by the company itself, government, or some other third-party), but it doesn’t start out like that. The definition of the government being Big Brother is largely abuse: abuse of freedoms, abuse of trust, abuse of political roles/positions. If I had to choose, I’d prefer a Big Brother that actually offers me some benefit (in the form of targeted ads, which presumably I want to see), rather than a Big Brother who does things under the nebulous claim of “for my benefit”. There is a difference (albeit slight) between being Big Brother in order to maintain the status quo of the power structure, and being Big Brother because you’re just good at what you do and the market chooses you.
But I’d rather not have Big Brother at all.
So when this thing gets switched on and I’m STILL seeing endless, um, “supplement” ads… it’s all me? Ouch, Yahoo!. Ouch.
I guess Yahoo Smart Ads is a slight improvement I don’t get ads with spinning chasers and free Walmart cards.
Seen Minority Report? Do you like the idea of those billboards calling you by name, and annoying the heck out of you while you stroll through town? Yahoo is one step closer. You wait till Google starts using its vast wealth of data.
Chris @ http://www.frostfirebuzz.com - New Internet businesses and news
This is a big thing for Yahoo as it shows they can provide new and useful markets for the advertisers. In my mind Panama has not lived up to its hype and Adwords is still easier to use for the novice. This will be interesting to look at as they seem to be falling further and further behind the big G.
Boycott Yahoo and Google, if you are concerned about the privacy.
Anything that helps reduce my exposure to those idiotic dancing mortgage ads is okay by me.
Google only has a better inventory when it comes to search ads. When it comes to display ads, Yahoo! has a better inventory. Although, with the Doubleclick acquisition, that could change.
For those of you afraid of Yahoo and Google collecting your usage data to deliver more targeted ads:
Just about every site is tracking what you do. If you’re that concerned about being tracked, turn off cookies in your browser. If you are obeying the law, then you have nothing to worry about. Behavioral targeting is the future, so get used to it.
Very cool. Extreme personalization of advertising. Great for brick and mortar companies, but what about online companies?
This is called behavioral targeting and is nothing new or innovative. Look at Tacoda or Revenue Science. It is bad policy on Yahoo’s part to offer these ads to consumers in an auto-opt-in manner. Consumers don’t realize they are being tracked and targeted across pages and across sites. EVIL.
Hmm, why the dependence on Yahoo Weather like stuff. Yahoo should leverage local search — whoever owns local search will be able to provide the best quality of service in this area.
Concur with stone (nr. 5). This is called Behavioral Targeting / Marketing, and it has many advantages to contextual advertising for both publishers and advertisers.
We have been working for three years in developing a true end to end personalization platform. One of the keys to success in delivering this solution, is making it easier for the advertsing agencies to create the content ready for mass personalization.
Qmecom can enable this whole new ecosystem - starting with the agencies. We have developed a tool set which can decompile flash ads, then enable you to create a template, then markup data rules agaisnt every piece of media…..we can then of course render millions of these ads.
Yahoo Smartads is a good validation of this new emerging market. Qmecom is Smarter and easier to use.
yahoo has more properties in which to grab from .. IE weather movies …
- Google won’t be able to capitalize in the same fashion ..
- but Google is so far ahead anyways..
Patent number: 7028072
Filing date: Jul 14, 2000
Issue date: Apr 11, 2006
Inventors: Scott A. Kliger, Thomas M. Middleton, III, Gregory T. White
Assignee: Unicast Communications Corporation
A method and apparatus providing for the construction of customized advertisement banners for Web pages on a client computer. The advertisement banners are customized based upon various factors including user profile information, technographic information, geographic information, demographic information and user interaction information. The information being either stored on the user’s computer, server computers or obtained from the user’s interaction with the Web page containing the advertisement banner. Once specific information is obtained, customized advertisement content is selected from Web server computers and the advertisement banner is dynamically constructed and displayed on the user’s computer.
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi.....RS=7028072
I posted yesterday about the failings of advertising systems in data-rich environments. I focussed on the social networks, but it’s interesting to see Yahoo! tying their visitors together in this way. Joined up as they say in Government.
http://aftnn.org/journal/641
If this battle for the best ads keeps going I could really see them get to the point where they really are relevant. The idea linked below about searching for “the latest harry potter book”, and then being presented with the location to buy it nearest to you is really neat. It would be interesting to see this kind of thing integrated with the Google maps business search. If I could search for something I wanted to buy, and the form that the advertisement took was useful information, I don’t see why I wouldn’t be further compelled to go and buy it.
http://www.wikinomics.com/blog.....007/07/02/