The frenzy around online ad networks never stops (maybe because there are so many of them). This morning, Specific Media, announced a whopping $100 million investment by private equity firm Francisco Partners. This follows a $10 million venture round last June led by Enterprise Partners. Specific Media is the fourth largest ad network in terms of audience reach, according to comScore (after Advertising.com, Yahoo, and ValueClick). The 130.7 million people it reached across the Web in September was just below the 133.5 million reached by publicly-traded ValueClick, which has a market capitalization of $2.6 billion.
On the (possible) acquisition front, ad-targeting network Quigo might be bought by AOL for $300 million, according to Kara Swisher. Quigo provides contextual ad-targeting for many media Websites, including ABCNews.com, CNNMoney.com, Forbes.com, and USAToday.com. This would certainly be in keeping with AOL’s strategy to build out its Platform-A advertising network, even as it takes steps to allow consumers to opt out of such targeting. Quigo won’t confirm the rumor. But it didn’t deny it either. I called up Quigo CEO Michael Yavonditte earlier today to ask him about it. His non-response: “There are rumors that we are going public, there are rumors that we are going to be bought. We don’t comment on stuff like that.” Sounds like he is keeping his options open.
(Disclosure: I am a former employee of Time Warner, which is the parent of both AOL and CNNMoney, and I own Time Warner stock.)
See all
Post
What’s next for Platform-A, if this Quigo deal goes through? A pay-per-call network, perhaps? Or what about a TV/Radio play like Spot Runner?
Quigo needs to work on their team more than being acquired, we dropped 1500 bucks on 2 sales of about $250.
There is still an AOL?
http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com
Does anyone recommend a company that can run and sell ads on a pay-per-click campaign, not build it. We had asked quigo and I was told they can’t.
Yeah, fake Steve. Welcome to planet earth.
Ziggy, Spot Runner appears to be rotting on the vine. In fact, one of their IT people recently asked to defect to our company. A blog report on the Silicon Alley Insider (Alley InSider dot com) said their revenue were below $4MM. Another blog comment described Spot Runner as stillborn. On a video interview with their CEO, it felt like he was making overtures to Google to be acquired. To my ears he sounded kind of desperate. I guess the end users finally figured out that Spot Runner typically charges hefty air time fees, making their supposedly low cost ads possibly the highest cost in that industry sector. Their more experienced and accomplished competitor Cheap-TV-Spots.com walks all over them for originality and low air time cost. Cheap TV Spots can air nationally for $30/airing with no long term contracts required. Would Spot Runner? Even Spotzer in Europe has a better, less disingenuous model than Spot Runner. That’s my opinion, of course. Platform-A? No, I don’t think so. At least not right now. AOL should wait until Spring for the bottom to fall out, and pick Spot Runner up for a song.