One-stop ad shops

The latest player in the wireless advertising arena hopes to provide a one-stop shop for companies looking to deploy marketing campaigns across mobile platforms. And it’s set to lock horns with a rare veteran in the space.
Millennial Media debuted this month, touting $6.3 million in Series A funding from Bessemer Venture Partners and Columbia Capital. The Baltimore-based firm touts a “Rosetta Stone of technology and services” designed to serve as a common language for advertisers, publishers and carriers.
Startups have attracted attention delivering ads on the wireless Web, while more longstanding firms have gained traction by delivering text-message marketing campaigns. Millennial CEO Paul Palmieri said the company is targeting companies that want to employ a variety of mobile applications to sell their wares and increase brand awareness.
“If you wanted to talk to somebody about buying WAP ads, there are probably two or three companies you could talk to” until recently, Palmieri said. “For SMS, there are probably a hundred others, for search there are others, and for (user interface) there are others. . No one has demystified the fragmentation of platforms.”
But Millennial is joined on the all-inclusive wireless advertising field by The Hyperfactory, a New Zealand-based outfit with an astounding seven years in mobile media. The Hyperfactory this week will unveil a mobile ad-buying network that will generate ad impressions across mobile applications including video, wireless Web campaigns and in-game advertising.
Millennial claims an impressive customer portfolio including such consumer brands as Proctor & Gamble, Adidas, Coca-Cola and Nike. Gil Martinez, a former executive with ESPN Mobile Publishing, will oversee the effort.