Global-owned DAX (Digital Audio Exchange), a programmatic audio buying platform, announced today that it will expand dramatically in 2016, offering ad inventory across 18 countries. Oliver Deane, Commercial Digital Director of Global Radio, made the announcement at the IAB upfronts in London.
Deane explained that demand is driving the expansion — existing DAX advertisers want to plan and acquire pan-european campaigns. To serve that demand, Global intends to deploy an international sales team and build a network of creative talent for multi-national, multi-lingual ad campaign support.
Mike Gordon, Chief Commercial Officer at Global, emphasized growth: “We created Dax to give brands access to the digital audio market in one single buy. The growth we’ve experienced in just over a year has defied our expectations.” DAX currently presents 250 advertisers with inventory from 140 publishers (e.g. Rdio, AudioBoom, Ministry of Sound, Global’s radio brands, Bauer’s Absolute Radio network). Seven-million listeners are represented by that inventory. “Our vision for Dax is to recreate the US market across Europe,” Gordon said. “Dax will continue to expand and transform the market, allowing new digital audio services to thrive by generating ad revenue for them, and giving advertisers access to highly engaged audiences who are receptive to hearing from brands.”
DAX markets over 70 audience segments related to what it markets as “the moments that matter.” Programmatic advertising seeks to target data-informed ad impressions, ideally putting marketing message into the ears of maximally receptive listeners, at the optimal time. While programmatic is well established in web-display and video categories, buying digital audio campaigns programmatically is at the start of the adoption curve. Part of the demand profile includes advertisers who wish to include audio in the cross-category campaigns, and expect buying platforms that integrate the audio inventory.
Note: Oliver Deane of Global Radio will speak at RAIN Summit Europe, November 9 in London. CLICK HERE now for the full agenda, and registration.