Will Ad Networks Compete for Your Ads?

bokelley writes "TechCrunch has an article today about a new product called RMX Direct that holds a real-time auction for every ad on a site. Networks and advertisers bid based on the quality of the user (geography, site, time of day, etc). This could be game-changing for sites and blogs; if networks have to compete, will we see AdSense disclose more about its payouts to publishers? Will other networks like Advertising.com and ValueClick participate, or will they continue to force publishers to make hard choices? In a lot of ways, this has similarities to the challenges that Linux faces in a Windows world. The open source community has been fighting for more than a decade to make the progress it has, and we're not there yet — will online media be different?"

Comments

Hope it works

[andrewman327]

I fail to see the comparison between Linux and this technology. Linux is an OS and this is a market driven revenue model. That said, I think that this technique has a lot of promise. My concern is that it will take too much attention from larger advertisers to bid on different ad spots. Some people maintain thousands of ads. Market driven technology has proven itself effective in many different situations and applications and I sincerely hope that this will give AdSense a run for its money. Regardless of what AdSense does that is similar, this will at least present some competition.

Similar to Linux vs Windows?

[sshore]

In a lot of ways, this has similarities to the challenges that Linux faces in a Windows world.

I don't see it. How is selling advertising space similar to the challenges of Linux in a Windows world?

Seems like that was just thrown in as a hook.

Competition is good.

[bigattichouse]

Doesn't matter if its a super-better-way-of-doing-things... If it actually causes competition with the big players (google, msn,yahoo).. then it is a good thing.

Web Revenue Stream

[Petskull]

Though this idea strikes me as fleeting, it brings up the good ancient question of paying for the web.

So far, the web has been treated as commercial space by PR depts; somewhere between TV and print media. Sort of a place to hold eyeballs while advertisments get sprayed onto them. To me, it seems to be failing. For some reason, we can't seem to match worth with dollar value. Yet webtech (servers, hosting, design) still generate a significant cost.

I think that once we figure out how to pay for cyberspace other than as a hobby expense, the business model will have profound implications on web ads, filesharing, and IP.

Submitted by Right Media Employee

[TomHandy]

Shouldn't there have been some mention that this story was submitted by bokelley@rightmedia.com? It makes some of their digs at the competition, as well as the attempt to frame RMX Direct as the "Linux" in this "fight", seem like apretty shameless attempt at free advertising and shameless pandering to the Slashdot crowd.

The Web makes advertising an annoyance

[Crouty]

Ads serves two purposes: Make you aware of a product and convince/manipulate you to buy it. They try to convince you by giving you information about key features, but we all know these information must be taken with a pinch of salt. They often exagerate positive features and leave out negative ones. There are much better places to look for product information than ads, i.e. the Web.

From from a consumer's point of view there is only one desirable aspect of ads: Learning that a product for a certain purpose exists. But if somebody misses anything, would he not go and search for the information himself? Again, the information is right there in the Net.

I have no interest in any ads whatsoever. I like my product information pulled by myself, not pushed by doubleclick, mediaplex or webmasterplan.