DG to acquire MediaMind digital ad network

The move has drawn comparison to Google’s announced US$400 million acquisition of display advertising firm AdMeld.

The key difference, according to MediaMind’s regional director for Asia Pacific Jordan Khoo, is the media neutrality afforded by the merger of the two platforms.

“Unlike Google, DG and MediaMind are committed to offering technology services and products that are free of any media-related conflicts,” said Khoo. “In a world where data is an advertiser’s and a publisher’s primary asset, our neutrality continues to be a major point of differentiation from the competition.”

Khoo also describes MediaMind’s acquisition by DG as “an exciting and more tangible path to the convergence of TV and online,” saying that this will enable it to seamlessly and more efficiently traffic online and TV video assets through a single vendor.

DG provides digital media services to the advertising, entertainment and broadcast industries. MediaMind Technologies (formerly Eyeblaster), provides integrated digital advertising solutions.

The move is also seen as expanding DG’s opportunities beyond the US, as 72 per cent of MediaMind’s business is already international.

Of its 37 sales offices globally, 14 are in the Asia-Pacific region, including Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, China, India and Japan.

Khoo said that no decision has yet been made as to the name of the new entity, although MediaMind will become the digital arm of DG – and MediaMind’s president and CEO Gal Trifon will serve as DG’s chief digital officer.

Neil Nguyen, president and COO of DG said the transaction greatly accelerates DG's international and digital growth strategy. “With this acquisition, we will build on MediaMind’s global operational footprint and world class technology platform to expand our reach beyond North America. The combined companies will serve a global customer base and enable DG to penetrate such markets as Latin America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.”