Last week I had the opportunity to talk to Allen Weiner, Van Baker and Andrew Frank from the Gartner Group (http://blog.gartner.com/blog/media.php. In addition to dishing about Internet media in general, we talked a lot about the ever-increasing spotlight on ad networks and exchanges. On that topic, I believe that although traditional ad networks and exchanges may benefit the community by encouraging innovation, they potentially de-value their respective audiences.
By essentially becoming commodities, the business model promotes reach rather than the quality of the people within that reach. Advertisers have told us they feel better served by (non-traditional) business models that sell people rather than pages. This is in sync with a basic principle engrained in me long ago by Dave Morgan at Tacoda. Staying true to this principle, Active Athlete Media doesn’t arbitrage inventory (buy at one price and sell at another), thus aligning the interests of our partners and advertisers with our purest view of audience.
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