Publicis Groupe Creates First Open-Source Audience On Demand Network

The folks at Publicis and Vivaki seem unstoppable when it comes of creating new revenue streams in the online advertising world. They’re equal opportunity money-makers and work with all of the big 3: Microsoft, Google and Yahoo to build what they call an Audience on Demand Network, through the newly launched Vivaki Nerve Center. What’s even more interesting is that the network is open source, the first of its kind.

If all this is confusing to you, you may want to read the official release from Publicis, below. Juicy.

Paris, June 25, 2008 Publicis Groupe, today announced the creation of a new technology platform as part of its just launched VivaKi Nerve Center that will deliver the largest Audience on Demand Network in the digital advertising industry. The Audience on Demand Network will build upon Microsoft, Google, Yahoo! and Platform-A tools to enable clients to connect with precisely defined global audiences —e.g. moms, travellers, dog owners—in a single campaign buy across the multiple networks. To date, agencies and clients have had to work through a highly fragmented media environment of ad networks, exchanges and direct publisher relationships.



“Our Nerve Center has orchestrated an open source solution across the world’s largest digital media companies to integrate global audiences while also providing diversity, liquidity and transparency of content. We don’t believe that digital media companies are aiming to disintermediate, we believe they are providing the industry with the technology to help us, plan and execute campaigns more efficiently,” said David Kenny, managing partner of Publicis Groupe’s VivaKi. “Our intention is to provide access to an audience of this scale through a single point of entry, with optimized pricing”

This is a first step in bringing more scale to the overall digital ecosystem with potential to extend to other platforms.

Using the DoubleClick adserving platform, Publicis Groupe will now extend a custom technology layer across all clients that will make it easier to connect to other publishers, networks and exchanges through a single interface. It will also allow clients to leverage their data to find additional audience across the partners collaborating in this initiative. As part of the VivaKi Nerve Center, the partnership will deliver additional audience trough the DoubleClick exchange. DoubleClick will also extend its Studio product to facilitate easier creative versioning to match messages to audiences across the multiple platforms.

The VivaKi Nerve Center will also work to integrate with Yahoo!’s Right Media Exchange, the first and largest open exchange platform featuring over 50,000 buyers and sellers, including advertisers, agencies, publishers and networks, that trade over six billion impressions a day. Yahoo! will enable Publicis Groupe clients to apply deep insights to their Exchange buys for precision targeting. Publicis Groupe also intends to leverage the capabilities of AMP! from Yahoo!, the company’s forthcoming advertising management platform designed to significantly simplify the process of buying and selling ads online.

“The VivaKi Nerve Center believes that creating open technology solutions in the marketplace will make it easier for clients to scale digital marketing, reaching vast but keenly defined audiences through a simple, one-stop buying process,” said Curt Hecht, President of VivaKi’s Nerve Center. “The development of this new capability will allow our clients to connect with specific audiences using one core ad-serving platform, DoubleClick, across the world’s four largest audience networks. This will ultimately improve ROI for our clients and enhance the overall workflow process and bring greater innovation to the industry.”

“Yahoo! believes that the industry’s next phase of growth will be driven by collaboration and through platforms that enable a more open approach to the way online advertising is bought and sold online,” said Hilary Schneider, Executive Vice President, Global Partner Solutions, Yahoo!. “Publicis’ Audience On Demand Network is a logical extension of what we will enable with AMP! from Yahoo! so that advertisers can find the audiences they most want to reach in the most efficient, effective and creative way possible.”

The VivaKi Nerve Center will work with Platform-A, connecting audiences across AOL’s leading media properties and the thousands of websites participating in the Advertising.com network. “We’re delighted that Platform-A will be a part of the Publicis Groupe solution that lets clients easily purchase audience on demand in an open architecture,” said Platform-A President Lynda Clarizio. “Platform-A is the industry’s largest ad platform, with a comprehensive suite of global marketing solutions powered by the Web’s best advertising technologies. The reach and global audience that we can offer through Platform-A will be valuable to marketers and ultimately consumers, who will receive advertising that is more relevant to their needs and interests.”

Microsoft will also work with VivaKi Nerve Center to help Publicis Groupe clients reach one of the largest and highest converting consumer audiences on the internet, through its online network of sites, including MSN, Windows Live, Microsoft Office Live, Xbox LIVE and more than 500 publisher sites via DRIVEpm, its premium ad network. DRIVEpm has been a leader in adding value to publisher inventory to precisely target ads using demographic, geographic and contextual information to help reduce the amount of under-performing ad inventory. This partnership is a natural fit in that Publicis Groupe works with some of the most well-known advertising brands in the world and MSN and DRIVEpm have some of the most desirable audience segments on the internet – this combined network will ultimately benefit consumers who are looking to engage with more relevant and meaningful advertising.

About Publicis Groupe
Publicis Groupe is the world’s fourth largest communications group. In addition, it is ranked as the world’s second largest media counsel and buying group, and is a global leader in digital and healthcare communications. With activities spanning 104 countries on five continents, the Groupe employs approximately 44,000 professionals.
The Groupe offers local and international clients a complete range of communication services, through three autonomous global advertising networks, Leo Burnett, Publicis, Saatchi & Saatchi and two multi-hub networks, Fallon and 49%-owned Bartle Bogle Hegarty; to media consultancy and buying, through worldwide networks, Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia; interactive and digital marketing led by Digitas; Specialized Agencies and Marketing Services offering healthcare communications,
corporate and financial communications, sustainability communications, shopper marketing, public relations, CRM and direct marketing, event and sports marketing, and multicultural communications.
Web Site: www.publicisgroupe.com