Ad Network CPX Makes Its Mobile Move

by Steve Smith, Aug 1, 2012, 8:30 AM

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CPX Interactive has formally launched its new division and network devoted to mobile properties. Dubbed “Moversa,” the network is already pushing out 300 million to 400 million impressions a day, according to CPX CEO Mike Seiman. He tells Mobile Marketing Daily that the mobile spinoff evolved naturally from the rising mobile traffic the company was already seeing to its publishers’ sites.

When they started several months ago, virtually all of the ads were being served on sites that had not yet been optimized for mobile. “When we started the idea we took all of those 100 million impressions a day and started going after mobile-optimized inventory and quadrupled it. Now 70% is mobile-optimized Web and applications,” Seiman says.

The network is serving over 75 clients, and more than half are from the pool of existing CPX customers. But about 40% of the new sign-ups are new and are coming specifically to Moversa. About 65% of the inventory is coming from existing CPX publishing partners, with 35% from newly acquired sources. The mobile piece already represents 5% of CPX business, the company says.

The company is selling campaigns to clients both across desktop, tablet and smartphone platforms and specifically to devices. While traditional cookie-based targeting is not available on most of the devices, Seiman says the company is getting considerable granularity out of existing data. “What we are finding interesting is that we do a lot of IP targeting on display. In looking at IP and being able to use geotargeting, you can get awareness of what that user is like.”

Like the Web display business, Seiman finds that mobile advertising started with their lead-generation business but migrated to more agency buys and brand campaigns. “We have a specific strength in lead-gen, but well over 40% of inventory is from brands and agencies,” he says. On the mobile side the shift has been similar but much faster. “We started with lead-gen and in three months we see 25% to 30% agency and brand dollars. That growth is faster than what happened on the Web.”

Many traditional Web display players are looking to extend their reach and customer base onto mobile platforms as users themselves migrate to devices. But some endemic mobile ad networks argue that mobile requires special skills and technology. Seimen disagrees, of course. “In my opinion this is a natural extension of what display is on the desktop.”

Mobile is another screen, he argues --but he acknowledges the argument against traditional ad networks extending themselves to mobile is common. “I believe that part of it is our fault for not jumping into mobile as quickly. We allowed time to create this distance and for them to say we don’t understand it.”

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