MediaTrust ALERT:Advaliant: A Top Notch Affiliate Network!

I want to thank our Advaliant teams for all their hard work. The below client review posted to their blog is a great endorsement of our hard work to build strong team work, proactive collaboration, working for the "collective we" not the "collective I" and treating clients as partners. This a great testament to the fabric of our culture which is made out of all of us together. I want to recognize Geoff who's affiliate partner wrote this review. I want to commend all of you who work to create this valuable endorsement from our partner community. BRAVO!!

I recently signed up with Advaliant. They are a relatively new affiliate network, however are quickly becoming one of the best around. They also recently won “Best affiliate marketing campaign 2007″ from ad:tech. Read about that here.

From the week or so I have been with them, I could not have been more impressed with the overall service and support from my AM. I have never had so much help from an affiliate manager in my life, and it is an extreme relief knowing I have that kind of help. I have sent barely any traffic to them, and they are still happy to help me out with anything I need.

One of the main reasons I like them is their tracking system they have. To tell you the truth, I like DirectTrack. I don’t know why, but I really really like it. That was something I looked for when signing up for an affiliate network, if they use DirectTrack or not. However, their tracking system is great. No problems what so ever with it! They have some really great offers, and a few exclusives. It seems like they shy away from the email/zip submit offers, which I don’t mind because I never run them anyways. Weekly emails with the top performing offers, along with their epc’s is also a huge help and something I think I am going to start to look forward to.

If you want amazing service, support, and great offers, sign up with Advaliant, you will not be disappointed!

Happy Friday everyone!

Filed under: Uncategorized

« Entrecard, a refreshing idea! What am I doing wrong? »

1. Peter Bordes, on December 8th, 2007 at 3:02 pm Said:

   Bernard thank you for the great feed back regarding our advaliant affliate division of MediaTrust. We work hard to create a very proactive partner experience when you become a member of our family. Our culture is created around empowering our partner affliates and advertisers with the best technology and having a living dialog that allows us to listen and react to our partners needs with unique offers or customized solutions.
   Stay tuned for the new highly disruptive platform we are launching in Q1 that is the ultimate hybrid system with transparency, custom modular tools sets and a new robust tracking system.
   We welcome your and the communities in put and feed back so that we can better service our valued partners.

   Peter Bordes
   CEO
   MediaTrust

Political Ad Spend to Soar

December 06, 2007
By Steve McClellan

Barack Obama and other presidential hopefuls are expected to spend freely on campaign ads in '08, according to PQ Media.
NEW YORK Political campaign spending on advertising media and marketing services is expected to soar 43 percent to an all-time high of $4.5 billion in the 2008 election cycle, according to a just-released analysis from ad and marketing research firm PQ Media.

The Stamford, Conn.-based firm cited record fundraising, the high number of presidential candidates and "an acrimonious political environment" as key drivers of the projected spending splurge.

"A key trend driving growth is that this is the first election since 1928 without a current member of the executive branch running for office, which has resulted in an unusually high number of presidential candidates participating in the primary season, as well as a discordant political landscape on several fronts," said Patrick Quinn, CEO of PQ Media.

Political ad spending across all media is projected to reach $3.03 billion, and account for 67.2 percent of all political media spending in the 2008 election cycle, according to the PQ study. Additional spending on political marketing services, including direct mail, public relations, and promotions and event marketing will reach $1.48 billion and account for the remaining 32.8 percent. The firm predicted that marketing would continue to gain share from advertising due to more sophisticated databases that allow direct mail strategies to be targeted to the unusually large number of battleground states in the 2008 elections.

PQ predicts that several advertising and marketing segments, such as cable TV and direct mail, will exhibit significant gains due to critical television station inventory trends, particularly in New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Florida.

That said, the firm stressed that broadcast TV would command the largest share of political media expenditures in 2008 with 51.3 percent of the total. But candidates will continue to shift budgets to other media strategies like public relations, promotions, event marketing and the Internet to reach key target demographics.

Campaign funding growth has expanded the use of other media, particularly direct mail, which is projected to generate more than $1 billion in spending for the first time in 2008, PQ said.

Internet ad spending is expected to exhibit the fastest growth during the 2008 campaign, up an estimated 84 percent compared with 2006, according to the PQ study. Other media projected to exhibit high double-digit gains are public relations, promotions and event marketing (56 percent), direct mail (53 percent) and broadcast TV (46.2 percent).

The presidential race is expected to command the largest share of spending in 2008 at 37 percent, or $1.67 billion, while the Senate and House races will account for 19.4 percent and 21.4 percent, respectively. Due to significantly fewer gubernatorial races (11 versus 36 in 2006), spending by gubernatorial candidates is expected to account for less than 4 percent of overall expenditures, while local races and spending on referendums will account for the remaining 18 percent.

"While most political pundits currently have the Democrats winning the presidential and most other elections, some of them don't realize that the Democrats are more vulnerable to voter shifts due to so few states in which their party currently has a safe lead," said Quinn. "This has resulted in campaign spending being spread across more states in 2008 than during the 2004 election."

Restoring the ad equilibrium for bloggers

By Rob Crumpler
http://www.news.com/Restoring-the-ad-equilibrium-for-bloggers/2010-1024_3-6221641.html

Story last modified Thu Dec 06 04:00:02 PST 2007


As the world of "new new media" unfolds, consumers are in the driver's seat, and the content they are creating--via blogs and social networks--is proving to be highly influential.

So how come advertising on blogs is so dirt cheap? Sure, not every blogger's content is designed or even appropriate for hosting ad listings. And certainly, not every blogger with killer content desires to run AdSense. All the same, as more bloggers continue opening their sites up to contextual ads in an effort to monetize traffic, the balance of power will shift.

My hope? That more individuals will be incented to develop and contribute quality content--and that bloggers will command the bigger price points that they deserve.

There has to be a balance between advertisers accessing the social media inventory that will perform and influential bloggers getting paid what they deserve for aggregating quality traffic, but right now that balance is broken. More often than not, independent publishers creating compelling content are getting the short end of the stick. Advertisers haven't found them yet, because they are looking for the wrong things.
Consumers are leaving the major Internet hubs in droves and spreading themselves thinly across the very fragmented online media landscape.

Recent trends speak for themselves. Consumers are leaving the major Internet hubs in droves and spreading themselves thinly across the very fragmented online media landscape. As people increasingly turn to blogs, social-networking sites and other sources of user-generated media, the "big four"--Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Time Warner's AOL--have spent more than $10 billion this year to acquire companies and technologies to extend their network reach to new and differentiated areas online.

Blogs represent a fairly large chunk of that new or differentiated inventory, often referred to the overly hyped "long tail." Despite the phrase's overuse, it's accurate to say "the tail" encompasses clusters of linking activity centered around influential hotspots--bloggers who command an audience on everything from tax advice and knitting to triathlon training and advice on which high def TV to buy. The Internet, in a sense, has turned into a million "mini" Oprah Winfreys who have a strong pull with consumers. That is advertiser gold.

Despite being picked apart the last several years by marketers hungry to demystify their ad potential, blogs still have not attained real advertiser street cred. True, there have been some interesting industry developments on the blog monetization front--everything from pay per post to birth of blog ad networks--yet, the jury is still out.

Online measurement complicates matters even further: no one can agree on how best to approach a standard of measurement, so marketers' collective comfort levels in dedicating budget to blog advertising is low. Page views got a real beating in the press last quarter, and, though the time spent metric didn't fare much better, the overall take-away is that a popular site isn't necessarily an influential one. In this fragmented environment, the proxy for what a consumer is influenced by in terms of purchasing behavior is not necessarily tied to popularity.

That leaves advertisers still asking big questions--how do we access quality blog ad inventory? How do we measure whether a blog is a good ad buy? How does this approach scale? And of course the biggie--is this safe for my brand?

One key to knowing how to answer these questions is understanding the influence of particular blogs on a particular topic. Isolating influence online is not as hard as it seems. Advertisers just have to know where to look, and what to look for--see beyond who the obvious leaders are, and instead focus on what these people are actually saying, who they go to for information, and who is listening in.

Unlike the offline world, influence online leaves a lasting footprint via links, trackbacks and comments. These influential "conversations" become influential online content. And with more blogs looking to monetize, this influential content becomes quality ad inventory.
Now on News.com
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We're at a very interesting tipping point right now, because these influential hidden gems are becoming less hidden every day. Advertisers are ready to spend money on the goods if blogs can deliver. They have the cash, the problem to date has been a lack of places to spend. The quality stuff sells out first, leaving most advertisers to battle it out over the dregs.

This leaves an untapped opportunity for blogs who have amassed expertise and have a dedicated following. To date, it has been those sites with the most eyeballs that win the revenue game. However, this philosophy isn't the way to crack the social media marketing code. What matters is the nature and the quality of relationship a consumer has with you and your content. That's the piece that will drive where ad dollars go.

If you are a blogger who aggregates an audience ripe for a relevant ad, and you're looking to get paid--sit tight. Advertisers are looking for you and influence-targeting is making you easier to find. If you can deliver advertisers what they want, which are clicks and conversions, your premiums will go up. You are not cheap--and I'm confident you won't have to feel like it much longer.

Should Facebook Run More Ads?

DECEMBER 4, 2007

It has the space.

Facebook is getting more attention from marketers since announcing that it would open up member profiles for targeted ads. But the exact model for those ads is still developing.

comScore Ad Metrix has said that while Facebook currently trails MySpace as an ad platform, it has greater potential for relative growth.

"[There is a] huge upside that exists for Facebook to increase its advertising business relative to MySpace by continuing to build its user base," said Gian Fulgoni, Chairman of comScore, on the company's blog.

The research company said that in September MySpace had 68.4 million unique visitors, more than twice as many as Facebook. MySpace visitors also viewed 1.4 times more pages per visitor and saw 2.2 times more ads on each page viewed (with each ad being about twice the size of the ads run on Facebook).

That is more than six times as many display ad views as Facebook, giving it a lot of room to increase the number of ads they are delivering per page viewed.

comScore also found that Facebook unique visitors were up 129% in September versus a year ago, compared with 23% visitor growth at MySpace.

But the focus on ads may be short sighted, according to Debra Aho Williamson, senior analyst at eMarketer.

"More ads per page may not be the answer for Facebook," Ms. Williamson said. "One of the hallmarks of the site has been its clean appearance, and many of its members appreciate that. Adding more display ads to a page may increase the impression count but it will surely turn off many Facebook users."

"The better strategy is to deliver the right ad to the right person via precise targeting, not to show more ads to more people just to increase the number of impressions," she said. “Of course, Facebook must also respect the privacy concerns of its members.”

Social networks will account for 6.9% of all online ad spending in 2011, up from 4.6% in 2007.

IAC's Horan: 'Intent-Driven' Media Challenges Brands

December 04, 2007
By Brian Morrissey

LA QUINTA, CALIF. The changes to the media business in the last five years are greater than the previous 500 years, according to IAC's media and advertising CEO, Peter Horan.

Speaking at the iMedia Agency Summit here, Horan predicted both media companies and advertisers could no longer rely on strong brands. Instead, they must find ways to meaningfully participate in what he calls "intent-driven media."

"Brand assists the process, but it does not drive the process," said Horan, whose unit includes Ask, shopping comparison service Pronto, Citysearch and over 50 other digital media properties.

Like much else in the digital world, Google stands at the center of this shift, Horan said. The ability to use search engines to find information means a more meritocratic media world, where a smaller advertiser or publisher can compete with larger companies on the basis of relevance. A car shopper, for instance, uses search to find information and considers a variety of sources rather than turn to a single trusted brand, he said.

Intent-driven media also means a blurrier distinction among content, commerce and community, he said. As an example, Horan pointed to Nike+, the running system and social network that blend product, branding and service.

"Nike is not just selling shoes," he said. "Where do you draw the lines there?"

Traditional media will struggle to adapt to these new conditions, he said, mostly because they have structural impediments, such as unionized work forces at local newspapers. That means newspapers will see declining revenue without the ability to cut costs, a potentially fatal combination, Horan predicted.

"We will see major metropolitan areas without a newspaper in two years," he said.

Group M Forecast Slightly More Optimistic for '08

Projects a Modest Increase in U.S. Spending of 3.7%

By Nat Ives

Published: December 04, 2007
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The blizzard of year-end media forecasts -- like snowflakes, each unique -- continued today as Group M projected a modest 2.8% increase in U.S. ad spending for 2007 and a 3.7% bump in 2008. Global ad spending will rise 6% this year and 7% next year, Group M said.

Those numbers are a bit more encouraging for media companies than some others that have just emerged. Universal McCann's well-regarded forecaster, Robert Coen, this week predicted U.S. growth of 0.7% this year -- which is well below the rate of inflation -- and 3.7% next year. At the same time, ZenithOptimedia pegged U.S. growth at 2.5% in 2007 and 4.1% in 2008.

High on digital
But Group M's report and the others share some basic themes, including the continued ascendance of digital media. Internet-ad spending will comprise more than 10% of global ad spending for the first time next year, according to Group M, which is part of the WPP Group. In one country, Sweden, the web will even collect more revenue than any other medium for the first time.

The ongoing strike by the Writers Guild of America isn't likely to hurt U.S. ad spending, Group M added. But the longer it continues, the more likely it is to hurt network TV while benefiting cable and possibly other media as well. "A prolonged strike could delay pilots and thus impact the 2008 cable marketplace," it said. "An upfront delay would add to uncertainty and nervousness, but might force broadcasters into innovation with new formats."

Group M said next year's numbers will have much to do with the presidential election here and the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Google looks to click with ad companies

By Alex Woodson

Dec 5, 2007
NEW YORK -- Beyond DoubleClick, Google is looking for other advertising technology companies to partner with, a company executive said Tuesday.

Speaking at the UBS Global Media Conference in New York, Tim Armstrong, president of advertising and commerce at Google in North America, said his company remains interested in finding ways to connect online inventory to advertising solutions.

"We're exploring the ability to work in that space," Armstrong said. "There are other opportunities to work with companies in that space."

In April, Google said that it intends to pay $3.1 billion to acquire DoulebClick, a transaction that has come under scrutiny from the European Commission. Armstrong said that proposed purchase, which he expects to close, fits "very squarely" with Google's ad strategy and that it will continue to seek more opportunities.

Beyond these partnerships, Armstrong said Google is having success in moving beyond just online text advertising. He said the company has forged friendships with traditional advertising agencies; networks are excited by the company's efforts to track TV advertising, which for now is confined to EchoStar; and that Google is open to work with most companies in various partnerships.

"There are two or three companies that we're too competitive with to do business," Armstrong said. "But hopefully, over time, there will be none."