Brand image control must be top priority for online publishers advises Improve Digital

Published 29th September 2009

Online advertising revenue specialist launches free white paper to advise on achieving 'quality and quantity' as digital marketing becomes more complex

With 44 percent of online budgets being spent through ad networks (see note 1), global online advertising revenue specialist, Improve Digital (www.improvedigital.com), advises online publishers to protect their brand image in addition to maximising income through various partners. The company has launched a white paper providing its ten 'top tips' on retaining creative quality control while working with multiple ad networks and exchanges. The document is available free of charge from: http://www.improvedigital.com/wp-content/uploads/wp_brandimage_sep09.pdf

Key advice offered to publishers includes:

Advertiser 'blacklists' are dynamic, so a process must be put in place to manage it to ensure it is always up-to-date
Pre-approve ads and campaigns where needed, but remember that every human step reduces the 'real-time' capabilities of a system, which has a knock-on effect on revenues
Ensure there is an emergency process in place, should the worst happen and a brand-damaging creative go online
Foster long term relationships with ad networks which will enable them to learn requirements and understand brand image rules

Improve Digital's initiative comes as the online advertising sector continues to expand, despite the current economic climate. Research from Nielsen Online shows that the number of UK online display ad campaigns grew 11 percent in the second quarter of 2009 compared to the same period the previous year. Figures also show that the number of advertisers running display campaigns has increased by 39 percent since 2006. On a global level, in July, Zenith Optimedia predicted that global online advertising spend will rise by 10.1 percent this year.

Improve Digital tackles the industry issue of unsold online advertising inventory, estimated in the UK to account for 80 percent of the total available (NMA – August 2009). The company helps premium online publishers maximise advertising income from ad networks and exchanges, with increases ranging from 60 to 300 percent.

Improve Digital has a strategic partnership with US-headquartered ad revenue optimisation expert, PubMatic (www.pubmatic.com), but focuses on providing a local, personalised service. It was the first yield specialist to operate across Europe, where it currently has offices in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. Improve Digital works with 95 percent of the advertising networks that exist in Europe and 90 of its customers are premium European publishers.

Joëlle Frijters, CEO and co-founder of Improve Digital, explains: “In today's fast-moving and dynamic online advertising world, publishers work with an increasing number of partners to monetise their ad space.  It is not enough to focus solely on maximising revenues.  Balancing brand image proctection with direct sales strategies should also be top priorities. We combine our experience in the sector with best-of-breed technology to enable publishers to do this. Improve Digital offers quality and quantity, which results in significant increases in income as well as control of campaigns and creatives displayed.”

For a copy of Improve Digital's white paper, please contact Kate Alexander (kate@alexanderpr.co.uk / +44 (0)20 8543 8481) or visit http://www.improvedigital.com/wp-content/uploads/wp_brandimage_sep09.pdf

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Note 1 – Ad networks accounted for 44 percent of online display spend in 2008 (up from 40 percent in 2007), according to the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB)'s bi-annual online advertising expenditure study, carried out in partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and the World Advertising Research Centre (WARC).


Notes to editors:

About Improve Digital
Leading premium publishers from all over the world use Improve Digital’s/ PubMatic’s real time and predictive optimisation technology to increase revenues from ad networks and exchanges in harmony with their direct sales strategies. They protect their brand image and gain central insight and control. Its clients benefit from local presence, local market knowledge, and best in class service. Improve Digital exclusively represents the PubMatic technology in Europe adding additional technologies, services and expertise. Improve Digital has offices in London, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Paris and is member of the IAB.

For more information, please contact
Kate Alexander
e: kate@alexanderpr.co.uk
t: +44 (0)20 8543 8481
m: +44 (0)7788 584413