[x+1] Steps Up Mobile Game, Acquires WDA

More and more advertisers are stepping into the mobile arena, and a good number of them are involved or getting involved with real-time bidding (RTB). To keep up with the times, marketing technology company [x+1] is expected to announce this morning that it has acquired WDA, a Michigan-based mobile marketing technology provider. RTM Daily spoke with [x+1]'s CEO John Nardone as well as WDA's Founder and President Konny Zsigo to get the inside scoop on the news.

The deal merges WDA's mobile technology (including programmatic) into the [x+1] Origin data management platform (DMP). Nardone said, "This is a big day for us and WDA. We've been partners now for a while, and we're now formally combining the companies."

Zsigo added, "[WDA is] definitely not a start-up. This is the 12th year of operation for WDA." He said that the company has "deep" connections to the mobile ecosystem. Those connections include hookups to numerous mobile exchanges and 80 mobile ad networks. Zsigo also said that WDA is always looking for new sources to buy from. "In on fell swoop, [x+1] gets access to global mobile inventory," he claimed.

While bringing WDA's mobile capabilities to [x+1]'s platform is likely the most important part of the acquisition, Nardone and Zsigo pointed out that there's more to the deal than that. One thing the pair mentioned is that the acquisition will allow [x+1] users to target audiences across multiple devices, including smartphones, tablets, and desktops. It offers one platform for cross-channel campaign implementation and reporting.

Both Nardone and Zsigo also hope to work together to educate clients, especially those using programmating methods, rather than throw them into the arena. "Clients are uncomfortable with mobile," Nardone said. Zsigo agreed, saying, "The biggest pain point we hear is [that clients] feel like they are running blind. They don't know what's working and what's not. They spend a bunch of money...[and] when they are all done, they haven't learned anything." He added, "That's not any good." The two of them stressed the importance of full transparency in mobile, something these two companies (which are now just one company) both claim to offer.

Nardone said, "We built a DMP...that can plug into pretty much any digitally enabled channel. As you can imagine, the dramatic increase in smartphones and their capabilities have made that a priority channel for our clients." He went on to tell RTM Daily that financial services and online gaming companies are two of [x+1]'s most common clients, and they also happen to be two of the most involved segments in mobile. In a classic example of supplying what is demanded, [x+1] hopes that the WDA acquisition will fill their clients' mobile needs.

WDA will retain its brand identity - for now, at least - and Zsigo will continue running WDA operations while reporting to Nardone.

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