Advertising.com (AOL) Launches Affiliate Network

[Linda Buquet]

1st ValueClick, (a traditional ad network) acquired Be Free in 2002, then snapped up Commission Junction in October 2003. This March, it united Be Free and Commission Junction under the CJ brand. Recently in a "keeping up with the Joneses" move DoubleClick (another traditional ad network) agreed to purchase Performics.

Now Advertising.com, soon to be owned by AOL Launches what they call an "Affiliate Network".

What's with all the consolidation between CPM networks and affiliate networks??? What does it mean for the Affiliate Marketing industry? Are all the different ingredients of the online advertising world going to just mush together the way beans and beef turn into something called chili?

See yesterday's article in Clickz:
Advertising.com Launches Affiliate Network
By Janis Mara | July 20, 2004

"Interactive marketing services firm Advertising.com, soon to be acquired by America Online, launched an automated affiliate network for publishers on Tuesday." http://www.clickz.com/news/article.php/3383861

So is what Advertising.com just announced REALLY an affiliate network, just glorified CPM advertising or some new type of hybrid?

See what Brian Clark has to say on Revenews:
Advertising.com "Affiliate Network": A CPA Banner Solution
http://www.revenews.com/brianclark/archives/000122.html

Read up and then come back to share your ideas in this thread. What do you think?

[TrafficProducer]

I'm lost... who owns who... who's next?

1st ValueClick, (a traditional ad network) acquired Be Free in 2002, then snapped up Commission Junction in October 2003. This March, it united Be Free and Commission Junction under the CJ brand. Recently in a "keeping up with the Joneses" move DoubleClick (another traditional ad network) agreed to purchase Performics. Now Advertising.com, soon to be owned by AOL Launches what they call an "Affiliate Network".

[dentalplans]

As long as these networks produce good affiliates and no fruad, we are interested in joining them? Linda, I have a call into Advertising.com, do you know anyone over there that can get Dental Plans in their system quickly?
Thanks,
Evan

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Evan,

I don't have a contact over there yet, have just been spreading the news and trying to get opinions about what everyone thinks about all this M&A activity of late and the way ad models seem to be merging and changing recently. Best of luck with Advertising.com and call me to let me know what you find out.

[dentalplans]

Nothing yet, you know how these big companies opertate...like snails!