CALM AMONG MADNESS

I rarely step back from the blog table to highlight a company in the digital or analog space. But this one's a rising star.

Without beating around the bush, that company is AppNexus. Founded just three short years ago in 2007, founders Brian O'Kelley and Mike Nolet partnered to deliver a cutting edge online buying platform. The company launched the first server-side ad transactions and has been on a steep growth curve ever since.

Partnering with technology providers, ad networks, exchanges and data providers they are positioned as the ad server for the technology and data rich digital landscape that we are all challenged to understand and make it work to the marketer's benefit.

Bringing together over 150 attendees Thursday at a post AdTech event, the AppNexus "What Works" Summit successfully pulled together several panels and speakers that made AdTech seem like OnLine 101.

In a nutshell, AppNexus is the go-to company for real time ad buying in its enterprise level computing cloud. It drives the madness out of the planning/buying process.

They are truly at the nexus between the digital landscape and the cloud(s) that water and nurture it.

Bravo.

CHASING TAILS AT OMMA ADNETS

OMMA's AdNets conference was one event you should have elected to go to on Election Day.

A well attended event at New York's Crowne Plaza kicked off with a keynote address by OMG's Digital CEO, Matt Spiegel. Focus of Matt's address and the conference was the audience ... not the one in the room, but the one on the other side of a computer screen surfing the web.

Finding your audience requires three layers of discipline ... the trading platform, the technology on top of the platform that automates, educates and learns, and the data .... "the currency that matters". Matt's takeaway was to stop selling reach ... sell audience.

His "E-Platform" : To Evangelize, Educate, Embrace and Enjoy the Ride.

One of the livelier panels focusing on the audience chase was moderated by Mediapost's Editor-in-Chief, Joe Mandese. Challenging his panel of agency contenders, Joe charted a course to find the reality under the hype for On Demand platforms.

Are they chasing their own tails to provide similar service offerings with no point of difference? The general consensus was that they are still very early to the game with a long way to go before they have an impact as agency players.

Who are the technology players? There are many (unmentioned by the agencies) to include Invite, Turn, Collective, Media Math, and X Plus One among others that, for the most part, drive the ad agency platforms.

Yet another panel moderated by Alan Chapell, President, Chapell & Associates questioned the efficacy of trading platforms and their ability to trump effectiveness defined by engagement and results.

The jury is still out.


Joe Mandese, Mediapost