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Programmatic

AppNexus inks in-app advertising deal with games giant Gameloft

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By Ronan Shields, Digital Editor

January 14, 2016 | 3 min read

AppNexus has announced a deal with Gameloft's advertising division to act as the games developer's supply-side platform (SSP) as the ad tech outfit continues to position itself as an alternative to Google in the run-up to much anticipated initial public offering (IPO) later this year.

Under the terms of the deal AppNexus will act as a broker, or SSP, between advertisers and Gameloft Advertising Solutions, which can source advertising inventory from leading mobile advertising titles, such as Asphalt Airborne 8, and Uno.

Gameloft's monthly audience figures amount to 173 million players, with Michel Guillemot, CEO of Gameloft, claiming the tie-up will enable it to more easily use in-game advertising as a means of monetising its titles given the recent launch of the AppNExus Publisher Suite (APS).

He added: "This partnership will allow us to simplify the purchasing process for our inventory, deliver high quality advertising campaigns with a unique level of visibility and control, and maximize revenue. Partnering with AppNexus is one more step in our continuous effort to bring the most advanced solutions in our programmatic strategies.”

Brian O'Kelley, AppNexus, CEO, said the partnership would provide advertisers with the scale they require to reach mobile gamers, adding that mobile monetisation was increasingly important to all publishers.

The announcement tie-up comes just two months after AppNexus lifted the lid on APS, amid an openly aggressive stance against Google's publisher business DoubleClick - the deal with Gameloft pitches AppNexus head-to-head with Google's AdSence for Games, for instance.

Speaking with The Drum at the time, Pat McCarthy, AppNexus SVP of corporate marketing, compared Google's offering with its own, adding that Google's advertising technology was increasingly outdated.

"DFP is a legacy ad server; while AppNexus Publisher Suite is a monetization engine for publishers. DFP offers “dynamic allocation” – the ability to compare DFP directly-sold campaigns to AdX," he said.

"By contrast, AppNexus offers Open Dynamic Allocation, allowing publishers to see every buyer they work with in aggregate and powering a single, transparent auction that helps them optimize for maximum revenue. AppNexus Publisher Suite also integrates Yieldex analytics, one of the most powerful forecasting products in the market. So, you’ll hear Brian argue that any comparison is fundamentally impossible."

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