Verve Wireless Acquires DIY Ad System

Deconstructmedia

On the heels of hiring a new CEO, mobile ad firm Verve Wireless has acquired Deconstruct Media, a mobile ad technology startup founded by a group of former Advertising.com product and engineering executives. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Deconstruct operates a self-serve display ad system that will be integrated into Verve's local mobile ad network, spanning more than 1,000 publishers. These include newspapers such as the Chicago Sun-Times and San Diego Union-Tribune, as well as local radio and TV stations and hyper-local Web sites.

Deconstruct's platform allows publishers to manage ad sales and offer ad inventory through an online interface. Advertisers, in turn, can review available advertising opportunities and can buy ad campaigns directly with a credit card. The system manages pricing, targeting, creative management and reporting.

"We felt we needed a self-serve channel, and Deconstruct had built a great tool set. Our focus is local advertising and sometimes the local ad transactions are small dollars, so self-serve is a necessary tool to make local ad sales scalable," said Tom MacIsaac, the new Verve CEO who replaces co-founder Art Howe.

Brent Halliburton, founder and CEO of Deconstruct, will join Verve as vice president of product management. Prior to founding the company, he led new product development at Advertising.com, the AOL-owned ad network. Halliburton and the rest of the four-person Deconstruct team -- all former Ad.com senior software developers -- will be based out of Verve's Washington, D.C. office.

San Diego-based Verve last September raised $7 million in venture funding led by BlueRun Ventures. Other investors include The Associated Press. Verve has created mobile apps for The AP, McClatchy and other news publishers as well as helping them monetize their mobile content.

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