Online and mobile ad firms intermix

Traditional online ad firms are teaming with their mobile counterparts to target consumers on their phones.
DoubleClick Inc., which was acquired earlier this year by Google Inc. in a massive $3.1 billion acquisition, said it inked deals with several mobile ad networks to integrate its DART ad serving platform. The company is partnering with mobile startups AdMob and Millennial Media to allow publishers to sell wireless inventory directly through the network that offers the best deal — a luxury that has long been available online but is just beginning to come to mobile.
Publishers will still be able to sell directly to advertisers, the company said, but through DoubleClick Mobile can view what inventory has been sold both directly and indirectly and what inventory is still available.
“We believe that the ability to sell mobile inventory directly and indirectly will provide mobile advertisers with more options, ultimately leading to better monetization for publishers,” said Ari Paparo, group product manager for DoubleClick.
The announcement is the latest step in the evolution of the mobile advertising space from exclusive relationships to more open partnerships. Verizon Wireless recently struck deals with two mobile ad firms, AOL and Millennial Media.
DoubleClick’s announcement comes on the heels of a move from Marchex Inc., a local online ad firm, to provide call-based ad services to mobile consumers. The Seattle-based outfit said it is teaming with AdMob, 4INFO and Ringleader Digital to deliver call-tracking services, enabling the mobile players to track the effectiveness of wireless marketing campaigns.
Marchex said the move will allow its mobile partners to track calls generated by ads on their network, determine which ads delivered the calls, and report when and where the calls were made. The company said it will also provide pay-per-call services to AdMob, which will bill advertisers based on ad-performance metrics.
“By linking the browsing experience of the mobile Web with the communications capabilities of mobile phones, AdMob continues to deliver a powerful new tool for advertisers,” said AdMob CEO Omar Hamoui. “Marchex’s call-based advertising services and suite of analytic tools enable us to better monetize our inventory and enable our advertisers to maximize the return on investment for their mobile advertising campaigns.”