Strata

November 2010

• November 30

  2011 Trends: Future of Online Ad Buys

  
  Developments in real-time bidding and audience targeting
  Real-time bidding, which heated up the display ad market in 2010, will continue to gain share in 2011 and become an increasingly significant force for advertisers, publishers and ad networks.

  For this type of ad buy, marketers bid on impressions based on the site, the location of the ad, the number of impressions desired and any potential cookie data they can use for retargeting or other segmentation. Publishers “auction off” ad inventory in real time, automatically looking at the bids made by advertisers for various ad slots and which ad should be served based on the user currently visiting the page. >Read More

• November 23

  STRATA CEO’s Predictions for Media Buying in 2011

  by John Shelton

  2010 will be remembered as a year that eliminated any doubts as to the viability and longevity of digital media.  At the same rate, the year also taught us that the traditional methods of doing business are still valuable when coupled with new technologies and mediums.

  More specifically, this was the year of Apple and Facebook. New advertising platforms like the iAd were introduced to much fan fare, and digital continued to gain significant marketing acceptance, with most of the general public accepting social platforms like Facebook and Twitter as their “window” into the world. There are challenges ahead. Despite the technological advances of 2010, the economy did not make enough >Read More

• November 3

  Big Money Didn’t Bring Big Results: STRATA CEO John Shelton on FOX Talking Election 2010

  
  
  On November 3, STRATA CEO/President John Shelton was interviewed on FOX Business Strategy Room following midterm elections about political advertising.  John shared from a STRATA perspective, which candidates purchased the most advertising space and if that paid off for candidates. From Meg Whitman’s “failure to launch” and Christine O’Donnell’s PR problem, John outlines how nasty advertising affected voter decisions. >Read More

October 2010

• October 26

  Will This Be the Lowest-Rated World Series Ever?

  
  Originally appearing in The Hollywood Reporter, Oct 26, 2010
  
   ...Brad Adgate, senior vp research at Horizon Media. “It’s not a great matchup for casual viewers.”

  Adgate pointed to the 13.6 million average viewers for the 2008 series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays as the recent low point. That, however, was followed by a rise last year to an average of 19.4 million when the New York Yankees beat the Phillies in the highest-rated Series in five years.

  Although the Yankees are missing, San Francisco and Dallas/Fort Worth are among the top 10 media markets and should at least get strong tune-ins from hometown fans. Said John Shelton, CEO of media-buying software firm STRATA, “Since Texas has never been in the Series, the entire state will be watching.” >Read More

• October 19

  STRATA’s 3Q Agency Survey: Recovery Stumbles, Political Helps Cable,  Digital Sees Less Obstacles

  CHICAGO, IL – Economic recovery for agencies slows as political ads dominate and digital advertising gains focus. This is according to the third quarter study by STRATA, a premier media buying and selling software provider. The survey, which follows advertising trends from leading agencies across the country, discovered that there has been a relapse in economic confidence. 33% of advertisers don’t anticipate the economy and their businesses to return to a strong growth period until at least mid 2011 and 47% are seeing their clients keeping the same budget as last year.

  TV is the top advertising choice followed closely by digital, but a significant growth area this quarter was cable. 31.3% of respondents say they are more focused on cable than they were a year ago.  That is a significant increase compared to the first quarter study (up 233%).  Cable’s resurgence could be due to the fact it is a political year.  Over half of the agencies polled say they are competing with political advertisers for space on TV, but with a finite amount of space on TV, many advertisers are looking into alternate mediums to get their message out.  The survey revealed that cable ranked second (behind TV) for political spend, followed by radio and internet.  That doesn’t necessarily mean that more dollars are going into political advertising this year.  58% say their political spend is about the same as it was during the 2008 political year and 36% say it is less than the last time around.

  “The economy is not recovering as quickly as originally projected,” said John Shelton, STRATA President/CEO. “Even with the increase in political advertising, spending has been fairly stagnant this quarter. We have noticed that cross-platform advertising is prevalent though, with nearly 47% saying they are doing more cross-platform advertising than ever before. Advertisers just don’t buy TV or digital; they are utilizing both simultaneously to stay competitive.”  >Read More

• October 13

  National Advertising Agency Fogarty Klein Monroe Moves Media Buying to STRATA

  STRATA, a premier media buying and selling software provider, today announced that Fogarty Klein Monroe (FKM), one of the nation’s top advertising agencies, has signed a multi-year agreement to use STRATA’s enterprise software system for their agency wide operations.  The new agreement will provide FKM with an advanced level of efficiency through STRATA’s comprehensive suite of tools for planning, buying, stewardship, optimization and billing.
  
  Founded in 1980, Fogarty Klein Monroe has grown from a firm with 38 clients to a global advertising empire with over a quarter of a billion dollars in billings.  Some of FKM’s major clients include Visa International, Best Western, Fox Sports, Greyhound, Volkswagen, Dell and Yellow Pages. The multi-year deal has STRATA taking over all of their media buying services from MediaBank. >Read More

September 2010

• September 23

  FOX Business - STRATA’s Systems Reveal Huge Bump in 2010 Political Ad Spending

  On September 17, STRATA CEO/President John Shelton was interviewed on FOX Business Strategy Room about what is possibly the biggest political advertising year ever.  Data derived from STRATA’s systems show a huge bump in advertising this political season compared to previous years.  From Tea Party messages to national vs. regional TV media buys, John outlines how advertising is being used to sway voters during the 2010 political season.  >Read More

• September 14

  STRATA Sets New Standard for Media Buying with Enterprise Agency Management System Upgrade

  STRATA, a leading media buying and selling software provider, officially announced today the release of a major update to its Enterprise Agency Management platform. The system raises advertising agencies’ level of productivity through a comprehensive suite of tools for planning, buying, stewardship, optimization and billing across all forms of media including the most advanced digital media.

  This latest update is the result of a complete rewrite of STRATA’s industry leading system, and is intended to bring new a new level of efficiency, scalability and real-time processing to the media buying industry.  The system provides built in connections to industry dashboards, report writers, and enhancements that will add precision and efficiency to the way agencies do business. >Read More

• September 14

  Media Post: STRATA Unveils New Media Processing System, Compatible With Microsoft Desktop Apps

  Originally appearing in MediaPost by Joe Mandese, Sep 14, 2010 08:31 AM
  Media-buying software and systems developer STRATA has introduced a new enterprise system for ad agencies that is based entirely on Microsoft’s operating system, making it seamlessly interoperable with all of Microsoft’s desktop applications. That, says STRATA CEO John Shelton, represents a significant improvement in the ease of integration for most advertising agencies, which utilize Microsoft’s desktop applications - especially Excel spreadsheet files - as the primary means of planning and posting media buys. >Read More

August 2010

• August 17

  STRATA Study: Advertising Impacted By Oil Spill; Attorney Ads Up; Tourism Hit; Uncertainty Dominates

  The oil crisis in the Gulf has spilled over to the advertising industry.  From tourism to restaurants, political ads to attorneys – advertising has been impacted in the Gulf.  That according to a supplemental study done by STRATA, the leader in media buying and selling software.  STRATA, who conducts a quarterly survey of ad firms across the country, has done a supplemental study of areas in the Gulf to get a gauge of challenges firms are facing in that region.  Among the markets studied: New Orleans, Louisiana; Mobile, Alabama; Houston, Texas; Biloxi, Mississippi and Pensacola, Florida. >Read More

July 2010

• July 21

  STRATA Survey: Ad Agencies Go Mobile, TV Losing Ground Quickly, Ad Economy Sees Big Gains

  See STRATA President/CEO, John Shelton talk about the latest survey and other topics on Bloomberg TV
  
  The popularity of smartphones and in particular, Apple’s iPhone, is leading advertisers to make major investments in mobile advertising, according to the STRATA quarterly survey of major advertising firms.  Nearly one-third of advertisers say that mobile advertising is the focus of their interactive spend.  That is up 107% over the first quarter of this year and marks a major increase in spending for the relatively new platform.  Overall, digital advertising continues to encroach on TV as an advertising medium of choice.  STRATA, the leader in media buying/selling software, conducts a quarterly survey that denotes agency trends by surveying top advertising firms in the United States. >Read More

June 2010

• June 7

  Wall Street Journal - Apple Could Jump-Start Mobile Advertising, Challenge Old Media

  By Nat Worden    Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES 
  NEW YORK (Dow Jones) 6-7-2010,—Apple Inc. (AAPL) Chief Executive Steve Jobs said Monday that the company’s iAd platform, its mobile advertising network, will go live on July 1, introducing yet another disruptive force in the media industry. 
  The rise of digital advertising already has weighed heavily on traditional media businesses—such as publishing, radio and television—and the nascent mobile market is expected to bring a new wave of upheaval as devices like Apple’s iPhone and iPad proliferate.
  John Shelton, chief executive of STRATA, an ad-software provider that manages $50 billion worth of ad transactions, said that, while mobile makes up a small portion of the total ad market, there is pent-up demand from large advertisers and agencies to enter the space, and Apple is poised to tap into it at an opportune time.
  “I think you’ll see a lot of agencies really pushing this,” Shelton said. “These devices are just showing up in the market, like televisions in the 1950s, and all of sudden, I think you’re going to see a watershed of advertising coming in here.”

    >Read More

May 2010

• May 20

  STRATA Survey: “Don’t Kill TV Yet!”

  TV is tops for advertisers, for now.  That’s the conclusion of a new STRATA quarterly survey of advertising firms, which shows that while more dollars are moving to digital advertising, corporations continue to spend the majority of their ad budgets on television.  STRATA is the leading provider of media buying/selling software and conducted the quarterly survey. >Read More

April 2010

• April 22

  STRATA AND NCC MEDIA REACH A NEW HIGH IN ELECTRONIC ORDER PROCESSING

  Political Agency GMMB Benefits from Streamlined eBusiness Solution
  STRATA and NCC Media announce reaching $82 million in paperless orders.  Spot Cable media rep firm NCC Media’s eOrders platform streamlines the transmission of Spot Cable advertising orders and revisions between media buying agencies and their media stewardship systems including STRATA.  eOrders eliminates paperwork and faxed orders adding cost efficiency and precision to the cable ad buying and selling process. >Read More

• April 9

  STRATA STRENGTHENS DIGITAL PRODUCT WITH GOOGLE’S DOUBLECLICK DFA6

  STRATA links with Google to take purchasing digital advertising to a new high for media buying agencies.  STRATA, the leader in media buying and selling software, now connects with the latest Google ad-serving platform to provide agencies a seamless end-to-end system for placing, tracking and billing digital advertising campaigns. >Read More

March 2010

• March 18

  NEW ECN AND STRATA LINK GIVES MEDIA BUYING A BOOST

  For more information on ECN: http://www.ecnmedia.com

  The media buying process shifts into high gear for agencies with a new link between Entertainment Communications Network, Inc. (ECN) and STRATA, the leader in media buying software.  ECN and STRATA, jointly announced today that ECN’s media services for advertising agencies throughout North America are now directly available through STRATA’s media buying software.  STRATA agencies can use ECN’s services to guarantee delivery of commercial information to targeted media contacts.  This connection allows agencies to deliver traffic on time and to the right person while receiving confirmation electronically. >Read More

February 2010

• February 17

  STRATA ADDS SPEED AND EFFICIENCY TO DIGITAL PLATFORM WITH EYEBLASTER’S MEDIAMIND

  STRATA enhances its premier digital product with Eyeblaster’s MediaMind, the first agency-based ad serving solution built from the ground up specially for agencies and advertisers. STRATA, the industry leader with its full suite of software for media buyers and sellers, recently began offering buyers integrated access to Eyeblaster.

  STRATA provides a comprehensive suite of tools for planning, buying, stewardship, optimization and billing across all forms of digital media, including online display, search, mobile and in-game advertising.  The new integration with MediaMind simplifies campaign management for agencies and alleviates daily challenges associated with planning, buying and billing. >Read More

• February 3

  STRATA ADVANCES DIGITAL ADVERTISING WITH VOLOS PRODUCT

  Comcast, Cablevision and Others Signed to Use New Tool

  STRATA announces the launch of a revolutionary new product that is changing the way advanced advertising is managed.  STRATA Volos allows media sales organizations the ability to manage their multi-media advertising platforms (Spot, Interactive Television, Video-on-Demand, Internet, Microsites and more).  To date, Comcast, Cablevision and several others are signed on to use Volos in their advertising planning and reporting. >Read More

January 2010

• January 14

  REPORT SHOWS INTERNET LEADING THE WAY IN 2010 - (STRATA 4th Quarter 2009 Survey)

  Internet appears to be spearheading media buying agencies toward a recovery.  Compared to just one year ago, Internet advertising has witnessed an 82% growth as the avenue of choice in STRATA’s survey of media buying agencies.

  Uncertainty of a recovery along with the strong emergence of Advanced Advertising as an advertising choice, also highlight STRATA’s report.  STRATA, a leader in media buying/selling software conducts a quarterly survey that notes trends of agencies of varying sizes across the country. >Read More