(image) In today’s Signal, cookies vs. relevant editorial content; Twitter’s new ‘expanded tweets’ could be both a benefit for media companies and potential competition; Zuckerberg has changed his mind about Web targeting, and agencies see challenges; a big company that you know little about knows a lot about you; and more.
To the links…
You’ll Never Find Your Target Audience by Relying on Cookies Alone (AdAge) Defining inquiring audiences first, and then looking for editorial environments that appeal to their curiosity is crucial, as we here at FM have been saying all along (but sure, we like data too). Selecting publishers with affinity audience structure and relevant editorial content just makes sense when buying advertising online.
Twitter’s Expanded Tweets Are a Double-Edged Sword (Gigaom) Twitter is rolling out “expanded tweets” and making this new feature available only to certain partners. Anyone can apply via an application process, but, presumably, Twitter then gets to decide who has access to the new feature and who doesn’t. Traditional media might want to tread lightly since this feature is Twitter’s way of adding more value to its website and mobile experience so that users will spend more time on the platform.
About-Face: How Mark Zuckerberg Learned to Love Cookies (AllThingsD) Last fall, Facebook disdained Web targeting. Now, with Facebook Exchange, it wants to profit from it, boost revenue by letting marketers use the same targeting tools they use all over the Web. And, while we’re on the subject …
Facebook Exchange Limitations (AdExchanger) Agencies have begun to probe how the new Facebook Exchange will work, and they see some challenges. We see the beginning of something far bigger, but more on that soon.
You for Sale: Mapping, and Sharing, the Consumer Genome (NYT) Acxiom — few consumers have heard of this company, however it has amassed the world’s largest commercial database on them, and posted a profit of $77.26M in its latest fiscal year. The company’s chief privacy officer has endorsed increased industry openness, but there’s a question as to whether current laws are equipped to handle the rapid expansion of an industry whose players often collect and sell sensitive information, yet are nearly invisible to the public. (NB: Our Chairman is joining the board of Acxiom later this year).
Ruling Facebookistan (Foreign Policy) People around the world have come to rely on Facebook for political activism and discourse. Now that it’s a publicly listed company — one that serves a population nearly as large as China’s — FB has public responsibilities for public welfare.
The Slow Web (Jack Cheng) The interaction-based Slow Web just might be the answer to the out-of-control, destination-based Fast Web — a “cruel wonderland of shiny, shiny things,” according to Jack Cheng.
The Newsonomics of Google (Ad) Singularity (NiemanLab) As Google tries to assemble its advertising programs into a coherent package, publishers are facing a familiar dilemma: join up with Goliath or compete against it.
Time Inc. CEO Laura Lang: Why We Changed Our Minds About the iPad (AdAge) After looking at how consumers read and where they are, Lang realized that the tablet platform offers an opportunity to bring a great experience to readers and an engaged audience to its advertisers.
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