29 May 2009
· Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged google country manager south africa
Stephen Newton has been appointed as Google’s new Country Manager.
I know we’re all thinking ‘damn, this can only be better than last time’… but the sad truth is that the former Country Manager didn’t act alone or without the knowledge & consent from Google HQ.
Many agencies suffered from the unscrupulous business practices of Mr. Newton’s predecessor, but Google SA cannot (and will not) say ’sorry, we screwed up – we should never have gone after customers behind our agencies backs’. The truth is they’re not sorry, they’ll do it all again, only this time they’ll do it more wisely & try not to get caught!
Sean Riley
25 May 2009
· Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged digital advertising, ppc, profile targeted advertising
Digital advertising, particularly Pay Per Click, has grown almost unchecked in the past 2 years. Offering advertisers an effective pricing model that allows them to only pay when users express interest in their advertisements (through a click), PPC advertising is cost effective and more importantly, allows advertisers with all sizes of budgets to buy the exposure they desire.
However, as digital advertising matures, we are beginning to see some gaps that need addressing.
Some areas that could be improved on:
1. Full transparency in the bidding process
Sometimes you need to experiment with bids in order to achieve the exposure you want. This can be delayed, as you bid, wait for ads to be delivered, determine position of your ads, and then adjust accordingly. I see a more to a stock market type environment happening, with transparent bids & offers to place bids by advertisers being fully transparent in a trading -type model. Publishers should have the ability to set their minimum desired PPC for an ad.
2. Ability to secure inventory with a bid in advance
Advertisers need to be able to plan a campaign and know that it will be delivered. How about locking ad delivery to bids in advance, giving advertisers peace of mind that their bids will be delivered?
3. Profile targeting
Most PPC campaigns run on a keyword targeting basis. How about letting advertisers bid on profiles? e.g.: males in an LSM of 7-10 in South Africa is just as effective targeting.
Sean Riley
14 May 2009
· Filed under News
Entelligence has concluded the sale of its remaining 15% stake in MyGate Communications (Pty) Ltd. MyGate is a credit card processing gateway that has fast become one of the leading choices for websites requiring real-time payment facilities.
MyGate originally purchased 85% of Entelligence’s credit card processing technology, EntelliPay, in 2007, and quickly took the business to new heights. We’re happy to see something we were part of creating grow with such success.
Sean Riley
