140 Proof

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
140 Proof
Type Private company
Industry Advertising
Founded San Francisco, California, United States (July 2009 (2009-07))
Founder(s)
  • Jon Elvekrog
  • John Manoogian III
Headquarters 77 DeBoom Street, San Francisco, California, United States
Area served Worldwide
Key people
Services Social Advertising
Website www.140proof.com

140 Proof is a social advertising company known for its targeted advertising API used by third-party apps and websites, such as HootSuite and The Atlantic.[1][2][3][4] 140 Proof is based in San Francisco, California and was funded by the Founders Fund and BlueRun Ventures.[5]

History

140 Proof was launched in 2009 by Jon Elvekrog and John Manoogian III.[6][7] The company makes money with its API for digital advertising in social sites and apps, made relevant with targeting based on the public Interest Graph.[8] BlueRun Ventures contributed to the company’s first and second round of start-up funding, which totaled $4.5 million.[3]

140 Proof began as an app-based network: its name is a reference to the 140-character limit on Twitter. However, its ads now appear on other social sites and networks, including Facebook.[9] 140 Proof does not serve ads on the Twitter website itself;[2] instead, 140 Proof’s API is used by third-party apps like Echofon (iPhone) or Tweetcaster (Android), that stream Twitter on their own interfaces.[2][10] HootSuite began using 140 Proof ads for its Android and iPhone Twitter clients in 2010.[3][11][12]

Brand advertisers advertising via 140 Proof’s API include Victoria’s Secret, UPS, Nike, AT&T, Microsoft, General Motors and Levi’s.[5][13] While its largest market is the United States, 140 Proof also serves customers internationally.[8]

During the 2012 U.S. elections, 140 Proof provided social advertising to political campaigns.[6][8][14] Campaigns could custom-build target audiences for their ads, or choose from 140 Proof’s pre-built voter personas, which included “Swing Voters” and “Tea-Partiers”.[6] The ad service worked best for customers campaigning at the state level or higher, because its targeting technology is more effective with larger audiences.[6][14]

Publisher platform

In 2012 the company launched a platform for big media brands to monetize their content. Customers included the Atlantic Media Company. The platform is aimed at media companies that have struggled make a profit from their online social audiences. The platform allows media brands to offer their advertisers social ads and access to their audience in settings beyond their home website. The service can integrate 140 Proof’s social ads into media brands’ own social streams and networks. Media brands also have the option to use the company’s targeted advertising algorithms to reach people with interests similar to their existing audience.[9][15]

Social advertisements

140 Proof’s ads are run on social apps and social sites. Ads appear in users’ social streams. They are marked as ads, but can be re-tweeted and shared like a typical user’s tweet or post.[3][16] Ads are targeted to specific audiences based on public interest graph data.[3]

140 Proof began offering video ads in 2012.[13] Its first video ad campaign was for Chevy during the Super Bowl. The ads generated 50 million impressions in 2 days and resulted in 120,000 downloads of Chevy’s “Chevy Game Time” app.[4] Like its text ads, the videos show up in users’ social streams on apps that run 140 Proof ads. Users can watch, rate and share the video without leaving the page.[13]

The interest graph

The public interest graph is the primary data source 140 Proof uses to make its ads more relevant. Apps using 140 Proof give the company a user ID list stripped of names, along with the public information in that user’s profile. 140 Proof’s algorithms assemble ‘personas’ of users based on keywords in users’ posts and who users are following.[10] By combining information on several of a user’s stated interests, interest graphs allow 140 Proof to infer further about the user’s interests.[17]

Brands can then choose personas toward which they can target their ads. For example, an advertiser might want to reach just sports fans, or either sports fans or mothers, or only sports fans who are also mothers.[18]

References

  1. ↑ Ives, Nat (November 29, 2012). "Atlantic Media Tries Turning Twitter Into a Bigger Ad Platform". Advertising Age. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Kafka, Peter (April 28, 2011). "A Year After Twitter's Cold Shoulder, Twitter Ad Shop 140 Proof Says It's Doing Great". All Things Digital. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Rao, Leena (March 2, 2010). "HootSuite Rolls Out Android App; Partners With 140 Proof To Serve Ads On Mobile Clients". TechCrunch. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sternberg, Josh (February 22, 2012). "Twitter Outsources Ad Innovation". Digiday. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Griffith, Erin (May 18, 2011). "Social Ad Company Hires Ex-Gawker Sales Exec Cascio to sell Twitter, Facebook ads in New York". Adweek. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Merino, Faith (March 15, 2012). "140 Proof debuts social ad service for politicians". Vator. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  7. ↑ "140 Proof | CrunchBase Profile". CrunchBase. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Otlacan, Otilia (March 27, 2012). "Interview: John Manoogian III, Co-founder and CTO of 140 Proof, Reveals How Political Campaigns Can Leverage Social Media". Ad Operations Online. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Hall, Steve (December 3, 2012). "140 Proof Launches Social Ad Platform for Premium Media Brands". Ad Rants. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Rao, Leena (January 20, 2012). "140 Proof Distills Ad Network For Twitter". TechCrunch. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  11. ↑ Melanson, Mike (March 1, 2010). "HootSuite Mobile Gets Ads with 140 Proof". Read Write Social. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  12. ↑ Dunaway, Gavin (March 2, 2010). "140 Proof Partners With HootSuite For Mobile Twitter Ads". Adotas. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Ha, Anthony (February 22, 2012). "140 Proof Introduces Video To Its Social Ad Network". TechCrunch. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Moire, Jennifer (March 15, 2012). "INFOGRAPHIC: Facebook's $142 Million Political Ad Market, According To 140 Proof". All Facebook. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  15. ↑ "140 Proof Platform Monetizes Social Audiences for Premium Brands". Marketing Vox. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  16. ↑ Rao, Leena (January 20, 2010). "140 Proof Distills Ad Network For Twitter". TechCrunch. The Washington Post. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  17. ↑ Savitz, Eric (November 30, 2012). "5 Ways The Consumer 'Interest Graph' Will Transform The Web". Forbes. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 
  18. ↑ Elvekrog, Jon (May 16, 2012). "Followers Are Audiences: Targeting the Biggest Audiences on Twitter". iMedia Connection. Retrieved January 15, 2013. 

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.