As the investment action in online media marketplaces in the US reaches new
heights, it’s no surprise that players are eager to export the idea of
buying and selling advertising over the Internet.
The first international player to pop up is Advertium.com, a site targeting Latin
America that has partnered with AdOutlet.com and drawn an investment led
by Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst and joined by SLI International Venture fund.
Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst holds stakes in several Latin American Internet
companies — MercadoLibre.com, ElSitio, Comunica.com, Amtec.net, Certant, Palmsite.net — as well as major media
interests including Argentina’s Cablevision, Venezuela’s Intercable,
Brazil’s TV Cidade, Chile’s Iberoamerican Radio Company, Mexico’s MVS
Multivision and South America’s International Outdoor Advertising.
SLI International Venture fund has investments in several Latin
America-oriented Web companies — ElSitio, Deremate.com, Salutia.com and Viajo.com. The size of these firms’
investment in Advertium.com was not disclosed.
AdOutlet.com’s role is that of a technology provider and an investor, and
it has agreed to share its experience with the upstart media marketplace.
The idea is basically to clone the AdOutlet.com model and take advantage of
the Latin American market. As in the US, the advertising industry suffers
from inefficiencies, especially as ad avails increase with the growth of
the Internet.
“If there’s one vertical industry that can benefit greatly from the
Internet, it’s this one,” said Patricio Campiani, chief executive officer
of Advertium.com.
Advertium will let sellers of television, radio, print, outdoor, Internet
and alternative media outlets in Latin America post their inventory on-line
at no cost. The company will make its money by taking a cut of every
transaction that takes place on the service.
Advertium.com also plans to build an advertising industry portal around
this service, providing news, research, and creative for ad professionals.
While Advertium.com may be the first media marketplace to take US
technology and experience abroad, it won’t be the last. A Norwegian firm
was in the United States last week, meeting with players in the space about
possible partnerships in Scandinavia.
