Global affiliate network Tradedoubler is now the owner of German ad tech firm Adnologies after the pair announced that a deal had been struck last week.
The recently acquired is a supplier of publisher and advertiser solutions including demand and supply-side platforms, a dedicated ad server and products connected to retargeting and dynamic ad creation. Last week’s announcement tied in with Tradedoubler’s intention to plough investment into its current tech stack in order to provide full tracking of ad performance across all digital marketing channels.
In anticipation of Tradedoubler’s year-end report for 2014, due tomorrow (February 6), PerformanceIN chatted with the group’s head of product management, Jeff Johnston, about acquisitions and ambitions.
Your recent deal for Adnologies; how long was this in the making?
Jeff Johnston: We have been developing our new business strategy over the last six months and during that time we identified key technologies that would be required to realise the strategy. We explored a number of different options that included both in-house development and acquisition and we began talking to Adnologies during the Autumn.
Matthias Stadelmeyer [TD CEO] mentioned before about wanting to improve your tech set. Were there any Adnologies solutions specifically that drew you into a move?
JJ: The purchase of Adnologies gives Tradedoubler access to technologies that complement and extend its current offering. Our corporate strategy focuses on creating smarter results for our clients based on data insights, targeting and optimisation. Adnologies have a range of products and services across the digital value chain which will help us to achieve these strategic goals.
Their fully integrated end-to-end ad tech platform includes cross device and multiple device tracking to deliver greater understanding of individual online journeys. Key functionalities also include the ability to deliver dynamic advertising and video that maximises engagement among targeted audiences
Have you set a timescale for when you want certain technologies to be absorbed into the Tradedoubler offering, and will any staff move offices as a result?
JJ: We are working with Adnologies to develop a plan to integrate their technology stack with our own. We will identify and roll out relevant opportunities to our existing clients over the next few months, while full integration is likely to take longer.
We do not anticipate that any staff will need to move offices.
How far can you go with the extra seven developers from Adnologies? Are you still planning on hiring an extra 18 in this department?
JJ: We have already increased our development resources in Stockholm as we have previously communicated and the Adnologies’ development team is in addition to this.
They have very specialised skills and competencies that are hard to find elsewhere in the market so they bring valuable new expertise to our team.
What are the next steps forward for Tradedoubler in 2015?
JJ: We are working hard to leverage Adnologies’ innovative technology within our existing business and reducing our time to market with a number of developments that are core to our new strategy. We are currently formulating more details of our offer to clients and prospects and will be rolling this out over the next few weeks and months.
Following the news of your restructure in the Nordics, is there another area that will become subject to change?
JJ: We are not planning any further changes to the structure of how we run our existing business.
Tradedoubler assisted in the production of PerformanceIN’s Performance Marketing Guide 2015. You can download a free copy of the 150-page resource here.