DAVOS WHISPERS: WPP Is Buying GumGum
This is not a report suggesting that the deal is definitely happening, or will ever happen. It's just a note to say, hey, this is a deal people are talking about. We first got word of this rumored deal back in New York and have trotted it out a few times over here in Switzerland.
Last night, a Davos source gave us a good sense that there might really be a fire behind all the smoke.
Is this report thin? Possibly! Is it interesting to a few people in the advertising and tech industries? Hopefully.
Here is how GumGum describes itself on its website:
GumGum is the leading in-image and in-screen advertising platform, driving brand engagement for advertisers and increased revenue for publishers across every screen. Our commitment to making brand advertising work better through technology and media drives higher viewability, relevance and brand engagement than standard display advertising.
We invented in-image advertising in 2008, and continue to lead the industry with our solution for helping publishers monetize their images and giving advertisers a relevant way tell their brand stories through pictures. Our patented In-Image Ads are overlaid on editorial photos where a user's attention is actively focused, creating higher viewability and engagement, and a better consumer experience.
Today we are going beyond images, creating new ways to make an impact in-line with editorial content. Responsively designed to fit all screen sizes and resolutions, In-Screen Ads are audience-targeted and persistent as users scroll, increasing viewability and creating a high-impact brand experience.
GumGum reaches over 300 million unique visitors per month across billions of images on premium websites. In addition to giving publishers a new way to monetize their images while maintaining a relevant user experience, we give advertisers the ability to reach highly targeted audiences at scale in a brand-safe environment.
We hear GumGum is not profitable, but that WPP finds its rapid growth promising.