GroupM's audience buying unit Xaxis works with 800 advertisers in 16 markets worldwide and is on pace to hit 26 markets by year end, says Christina Beaumier, VP of Global Client Development.
Beet.TV contributor Ashley Swartz spoke to Beaumier at the Beet.TV Leadership Summit on Digital Video Advertising in an RTB World about the range of data sources Xaxis relies on, the notion of brand safety, and the growth in video advertising in real-time buying.
"Since we built our technology we can plug into any type of data source, any type of inventory source," Beaumier says, explaining in this interview how Xaxis is different from a trading desk. "We plug into networks, we plug into publishers, and we can build private exchanges." The benefit of this home-grown technology approach is that Xaxis can then bring audience buying strategies to any type of targetable inventory. That includes private exchanges that Xaxis has built for premium publishers, for instance, she says.
"It brings relevant messages to the site and allows them to monetize their inventory, not necessarily through exchanges, but ensuring they get the best advertisers in the marketplace," Beaumier says.
Much of the inventory that runs through Xaxis is tier-two, which is just a notch below custom home-page takeover type of ads and could therefore include above-the-fold and "page" two" type of spots, she adds.
When Xaxis first launched, it initially worked with performance-based marketers and has now expanded to all categories such as luxury, travel, consumer packaged goods and more. In addition, Xaxis is also growing in video inventory and in some markets, more than half of a buy is devoted to video, she says.
This Beet event took place at the Manhattan offices of GroupM and was presented by TubeMogul.
Daisy Whitney
