The End That Didn’t Come: How Ad Networks Survived the Recession

This was supposed to be the year when ad networks would cease to exist, and when publishers would cut their ties. But, not only have we survived, we have also prospered.  In an article on MediaWeek.com, Mike Shields explains that although the poor economy has lessened demand for traditional use of display ads (branding), it has also caused a shift toward performance advertising and audience targeting, which gives ad networks a leg up in the industry…read the rest of the post on our new blog: cpxadnetworkblog.com!

Meet the CEO of CPX Interactive, Mike Seiman

 Mike Seiman is the CEO and Co-Founder of CPX Interactive, a progressive online ad network and global marketing company recently named by Inc. Magazine as the 6th fastest growing privately held advertising and marketing company in the US.

While a student at Hofstra University, Seiman teamed up with his business partner, now CTO of CPX Interactive, to begin monetizing a handful of entertainment websites they had created together. The ad server they built in 1999 set new standards for the industry and developed into a global company that now employs more than 90 people and serves more than 30 billion online ad impressions, in more than 60 countries, every month.

Seiman prides himself on his drive to ‘give back’ and he has leveraged CPX’s huge distribution power to do just that. Through its philanthropic division, CPXample, CPX has contributed millions of ad impressions across its vast network to causes including Save Darfur, Live Earth, American Diabetes Association and Children International. In 2008, Seiman decided to step up CPXample’s ‘skin in the game’ by creating and promoting its own ‘Get Out the Vote’ video and campaign called Vote For It! ’08 (www.voteforit08.org) which boasted a litany of  hip-hop royalty. CPX produced the video and drove more than 1.3 million views to it on YouTube.

Seiman is also extremely active on a personal level with these causes and with others, including the Hebrew Educational Society and the alumni association of his alma mater, Hofstra University.

Outside of his role in CPX Interactive, Seiman is also a principal of an indie movie production house, Chaos2, which has recently completed its first feature length project, the retro-style ‘slasher flick,’ Bloodnight: The Legend of Mary Hatchet.

Mike Seiman has always had extremely high standards for himself in both his personal and business lives. This commitment to excellence stems from a belief that the best way to engage a challenge is to “… see it as an opportunity to discover the best possible version of one’s self, and to help those around you do the same.”

Poll Finds Using Twitter Important for Brands Like CPX Interactive

Samantha Karol
Marketing Assistant, CPX Interactive

Professional networking site, LinkedIn, recently asked its users to choose which new platform is the most important for brands to master among: Digg, Facebook, iPhone, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Of the nearly 4,000 respondents, 30% chose Twitter as the most important, followed closely by Facebook at 26%, and LinkedIn at 22%. These results are just further evidence of the important role social media is playing in marketing campaigns.

Check out CPX Interactive on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and our other Web 2.0 pages.

Data-Based Internet Campaigns Providing Advertisers with Instant Measurements

Samantha Karol
Marketing Assistant, CPX Interactive

The Internet is bringing Wall Street to Madison Avenue, as advertisers are discovering the benefits of real-time data that can only be gathered from online campaigns. As the New York Times reported recently, major media companies and advertising agencies are adopting data-based strategies for their campaigns, many with the help of ad exchanges.

CPX Interactive was an early adopter of the exchange model, as one of the first and largest players in the Right Media Exchange. In fact, we still represent approximately 30% of the exchange’s inventory. To learn more about CPX’s relationship with exchanges, read CEO Mike Seiman’s interview with AdExchanger.com.

CPX Interactive Recognized by Alley Insider as Second Fastest-Growing Ad Network

Silicon Alley Insider has recognized CPX Interactive as the second fastest-growing ad network,based on comScore’s April 2009 report.  The comScore report names the top 25 ad networks, by unique visitors, and compares numbers from last year to this year. Alley Insider took another look at the results to determine which of the top 25 were growing the fastest. CPX Interactive came in second with U.S. unique visitors up 88% from 2008 to 130 million, behind only Turn Inc.

Mike Seiman, CEO of CPX Interactive, Blogs on Publisher Loyalty

CPX Interactive CEO, Mike Seiman, is now sharing his insight and industry perspective through his blog on iMedia Connection. He joins EVP of Marketing, David Shay, who published his first blog post last week. Mike’s first post, “Are Ad Networks ‘Dancing With The Ones Who Brung Us?’” stresses the importance for ad networks to maintain positive relationships with publishers. He points out how easy it is to become absorbed with advertiser relations, but emphasizes the vital role publishers play in the online advertising space.

For more of Mike’s advice, read the full post on iMedia, and check out his video blog on YouTube.

CPX EVP of Marketing David Shay Shares Insight on iMedia Blog

David Shay, EVP of Marketing at CPX Interactive, recently published his first blog post on iMedia Connection entitled Marketing Begins at Conception. In the post, he answers the question, “What IS marketing?” and provides tips to marketers on how to be part of the message crafting process. To read the post in full, visit David’s iMedia blog, and check back for more valuable marketing insight in the future.

CPX CEO Mike Seiman Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist

Mike Seiman, CEO of CPX Interactive, was named today as a finalist for the Ernst & Young Metro New York Entrepreneur of the Year awards. Mike is one of 36 regional finalists selected by an independent judging panel. The winners will be announced at an awards gala on Thursday June 25 at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square.  Ernst & Young established the Entrepreneur of the Year program 23 years ago in order to recognize the achievements and accomplishments of business leaders across the country.

A full list of finalists can be found in the official Ernst & Young press release.  Read about Mike’s entrepreneurial spirit in this Q&A on Blogger.

CPX Interactive Division Launches Facebook Application

The year is 180 A.D., our beloved emperor, Marcus Aurelius, mysteriously died in his sleep. His only son, Commodus, has taken the throne. Commodus rules with irrational fear, killing anyone or anything that threatens his power. The glory that once was Rome is all but lost. The Senate is too weak to challenge Commodus and Rome’s elite are too scared to show dissent. Rome’s fate lies in your hands, a mere slave. You must raise an army, develop your political power, expand the reaches of your influence and rise above the masses. There was once a dream called Rome… It is up to you to bring back the glory of Rome and crown yourself Caesar.

Treachery: The Rise to Caesar is an exciting, interactive, and addicting social networking game that lets you step into the shoes of a Roman slave who must raise an army, develop political power, and build a kingdom in order to overthrow Commodus, rise to Caesar, and restore the glory back to Rome!

To add the app and join the fun, go to http://apps.facebook.com/treachery!

Treachery: The Rise to Caesar is the inaugural initiative of Paperclip Applications, a Social Gaming division of online ad network, CPX Interactive.

Also, be sure to join the Paperclip Applications Group, on Facebook, where you can talk about Treachery, receive updates on current games, and make suggestions for future games!

Survey of Online Media’s Major Players Shows Ad Network Use on the Rise

This week, online ad network and technology provider, Collective Media, released the findings of a survey designed ”to better understand the role and value of online advertising networks for both interactive agencies and advertisers.” 

The survey was conducted by independent marketing research firm, Sterling Research Group Inc., in February and March of this year, and received nearly 500 responses from major players in the online media industry. Overall, the findings of the survey showed promise for online ad networks despite the poor economy. Here are some specifics:

• 89% of the nearly 500 respondents intend to work with ad networks in 2009, a 5% increase from 2008
• Over 50% of respondents expect to spend up to 15% of their online budgets with ad networks, while 24% plan to spend up to 30% with ad networks
• Over 70% of respondents work with only one or two ad networks on any given project
• 71% of respondents feel that there are too many ad networks
• Efficiency is the reason 72% of respondents use ad networks, and 23% find inventory quality to be what differentiates ad networks from one another
• More than 50% of respondents work with ad networks for branding and direct marketing
• Respondents are most opposed to run online advertising on user-generated video, followed by blogs, and then the general category of ’social media’