Ad Network Collective Is Latest to Power Vertical Networks

New York-based online ad network Collective Media is hoping to shake up the vertical ad network trend today by offering publishers a platform for managing their own such networks. The offering is similar to a platform already offered by Adify and one recently announced by DoubleClick

Collective Media says its new Ad Network Management Platform (AMP) is the same technology it uses to manage “hundreds of audience segments, thousands of sites and billions of ad impressions” each month across the Collective ad network.

Collective CEO Joe Apprendi said the company has been using AMP internally for about two years. He argued AMP is unique because it can power behavioral and contextual targeting.

“It’s designed to manage audience networks of any type,” said Apprendi. Additionally, AMP provides tools for managing monetary aspects including revenue sharing. “When you are in the ad network business, it’s not only what you sell it for but what the cost is to acquire, as well.”

AMP is built on top of, and integrated with, DoubleClick’s DART for Publishers API. Capabilities include audience targeting, order management, inventory forecasting and reporting functions integrated with the DART for Publisher API, said Apprendi. Integration with Salesforce.com is also offered under the platform.

DoubleClick also has an eye on the vertical ad network market; it announced plans to provide a backbone for such a network as part of its recently unveiled Revenue Center for publisher customers.

Publishers opting for AMP will be able to leverage Collective’s ad network.

AMP is being used to power quadrantONE, an ad network launched last month by Gannett Co., Hearst Corporation, Tribune Company and The New York Times Company.