LookingConfident's  Instablog

Swanson1 has had more final 'curtain calls' than Dame Nellie Melba ever dreamed of having when returning to make further comments on the Vince Martin instapost, "LookSmart Is As Good As Finished."

My reply to him, is as follows:

Swanson1 .... Back on March 30th, you posted the following:

"I just can't see a CPV model work for an aggregator like Looksmart unless they have their own network, and if they did why would you not sell CPC or CPA if it was quality?"

I can only answer, that this was likely....

Because it is NOT (or, was not) generally available through-out the period of testing. I have mentioned that you were dealing with just one part of Looksmart's business, ok? Being, it's own ad network.

I've since pointed you to where Looksmart's Benoit Vatere not only explains that "we own the network" but that, "we follow users showing search intent"..... He also tells all that [From search] "Google & Yahoo are looking for bigger margins" and (of Looksmart) receiving data from them ......"we have about 3 billion queries per day".

seekingalpha.com/instablog/36191-looking...

I'd like to (now) draw your attention to what a Google spokesperson has said in an adweek.com article out just today..Do note the initial mention of "a variety of search engines" and with experiments dating back as far as Feb. 2010.

....."These are two ongoing experiments that we described in February 2010 (the use of search referral clicks from a variety of search engines to improve ad relevance) & October 2011 (the customization of search ads based on recent visits)."

.."Here's how it would work: a user might search for "prada shoes" but not actually click on a search result or search ad.

Later in the day (within seven hours) that user might visit any site within the Google Display Network and come across an ad from, say, Prada or Saks Fifth Avenue. At its core Search Companion would provide search ads outside of the search results page, explained a source."

< Scott Jones, general manager of display for Responsys (which is not participating in the beta), said that search data is valuable signal for targeting display ads, categorizing it among first-party signals like a brand's CRM data. ..."It's all about intent, and from our perspective there are a lot of signals that represent "intent"-one of them is what term were you looking for or, what content were you specifically looking for", he said. >

www.adweek.com/news/technology/sources-g...

Now whatever way you want to allow this confusing article (to further 'twist' you own acceptance of what I've been claiming, all along), you need to understand that need for an independent operator to 'collate' those 'terms that users were you looking for' and accept that they are coming to Looksmart from "a variety of search engines".

I will remind you (perhaps you are learning of this for a 1st time?) that Looksmart's appointment of a Scientist (and, the foremost analytical 'genius'), in Vincent Granville (I feel), is about providing the very best of analytics (consistent and equal to all who buy and sell in Looksmart's global CPA/CPV advertising marketplace) and from within or, across the total platform.

And, it was ....

.. Back in March 2011 when I'd noted (in an article that he had written on his own site: tiny.cc/sgbv8) where the Looksmart Chief Scientist Dr. Vincent Granville, had said, he was:

."Currently working on a Google keyword price/volume forecaster with Dr. Jean-Yves Dexmier, CEO of Looksmart [and who's also] a member of the prestigious French group of mathematicians, known as Bourbaki. [In the article he says that -- - together they were now] developing scoring algorithms that are 200 times faster than algorithms available in the marketplace. (Without using cloud)."

Success Story: (Dr. Vincent Granville - Read, Success Stories on his website) - www.analyticbridge.com/group/successstories

."I've finished creating the list of all top commercial keywords that account for 85% of Google pay-per-click advertising revenue."

(Yes."the Creation of a list of about 100,000 keywords representing 85% of the keyword pay-per-click commercial universe, in terms of Google advertising revenue.")

seekingalpha.com/instablog/36191-looking...

Here's hoping you (and others) get to understand a little more of just where I am coming from. Should you happen to do so, you may just decide to make your-self some dollars along the way.

Always, only an opinion.

LOOK: On May 22: $ 0.76 0.03 (+4.11%)

LC

Disclosure: Long LOOK

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"Behavioral economics is the new "psychology of denial." Yes, it's like falling in love. You can't hear, can't see the warning signs. Till after.

......After months of hype building up to this IPO, you're convinced Facebook is your soul mate, that not getting shares in that IPO would leave you devastated, rejected by your true love. And nothing anyone says about the risks will change your mind.......That's the "psychology of denial."

Overnight: http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=FB

How Facebook could destroy the U.S. economy Paul B. Farrell
www.marketwatch.com

Global economy-killer? Yes, Facebook joins my list of global macroeconomic triggers (deadly unpredictable Black Swans like the dot-coms in 2000, subprimes in 2008) that the denial system driving the collective brain of American investors will simply tune out, till it's too late.

It's a great article by Paul B. Farrell well worth your consideration.

It's probably fair to also say (I feel) that this talked of 'denial system driving the collective brain of American investors' is likely a same 'denial' as what will ultimately be judged in history - the 'story' of this period of time, that we are in.

Only an opinion.

LC

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When Buddy Media acquired Brighter Option's social ad management software to power Facebook ads, a whole new 'game' or, progress now gets to evolve around Facebook's global Display advertising offer.

Looksmart has well and truly said (or, been told to say) good-bye to any future eCPM (Costs per thousand impressions) kind of transactions to 'manage' again.

< Buddy Media had studied 20 possible ad development outfits for a possible acquisition and chose Brighter Option, whose ad management software saw 92.5 billion page views on behalf of 291 advertisers in 42 countries.>

There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that (London-based Facebook advertising developer) Brighter Option has been using no more than a 'private label' of the Looksmart advertiser solutions! Just where in the world would they have had the front end to offer enough scale to service 291 advertisers in 42 countries. - under their Facebook agreement?

(With Facebook already utilising the Looksmart Publisher solutions.)

What this deal also clearly establishes is that Buddy Media (said to have had just under $90 million in funding), is certain NOW, that 'independent' marketplace.

Conducting RON or, eCPM buys that can only add to Buddy's existing growing revenues (that may have reached $50 million in 2011) with their news that they're now building the ad tools that sync with Buddy Media's Twitter, YouTube, Google+ and other social channel publishing capabilities. In my opinion, there's your ONE global marketplace, in a nutshell.

When Facebook finally do decide (Q3?) to buy Looksmart's ad network, they too will effectively have an independent entry for their advertisers to all buy in that same global (open) marketplace - where a winning bid may not necessarily become a Facebook impression as it could be served on any of Buddy's partner's sites, including Twitter, YouTube, Google+.

With the highest or, 'winning bid', getting that placement.

From my previous instapost the situation just became a newer 'game' for Facebook, with- instead of their own utilizing the Looksmart AdCenter enterprise technology for serving their own ads - Buddy provides the 'firewall' for Facebook. Keeping advertisers at 'arms length' from mining any Facebook 'user' data. When Yahoo and Microsoft's 'collective' own, and their network publisher partners and other publishers and networks are brought into the (one) marketplace, sh#t just get's that bigger!

Already, with a click on the Facebook Ad Manager - Brighter Option you are taken to:

There should be no need for me to explain any of what I feel are the workings of CPA/CPV in a Looksmart global marketplace. - One that'll operate separate from the Buddy (social) network. The clear success of search based user/audience targeting needs no introduction.

tiny.cc/slgpew

Full acquisition Story, linked here:

allfacebook.com/facebook-buddy-media-acq...

Buddy may/will also (it appears from the above), offer CPA clicks (with a guarantee of a true Cost Per View CPV) with all others within the Buddy marketplace doing like-wise across social networks, including Facebook.

As AdEchanger points out today (Read more) WPP and Buddy Media has a 'natural' deal between them already. 'WPP has spent $200 million on Facebook in 201, and the CEO Martin Sorrell expects that to rise to $400 million this year. .....With Sorrell wanting to see his $5 million stake in Buddy Media pay off!'

Always, just an opinion.

LC

ps; Buddy Media Unifies Social Marketing Data with New API

Disclosure: Long LOOK

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