Undertone (advertising company)

Undertone is a digital advertising company founded in 2002, initially as a subsidiary of Intercept Interactive, a digital media buying company. In December 2015, Undertone was acquired by Israeli software making company Perion Network for $180 million.[1]

Undertone
TypePrivate
Industryonline advertising, internet services
Founded2002
FounderMichael Cassidy
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
Number of locations
12
Key people
Doron Gerstel (CEO)
Number of employees
200 (as of February 2012)
ParentPerion Network
Websitewww.undertone.com

History

In 2010 and 2011, the company introduced proprietary high impact display ad units called "PageGrabber" and "PageSkin". Undertone's clients include AccuWeather and Britannica.[2]

Undertone has been described as one of the last independent ad serving platforms in 2009 but has since bought up several competing companies.[3]

Services and products

Undertone offers online advertising display and video advertising services that allows businesses to target ads to specific locations, demographics and keywords.[4] Additionally, Undertone offers service guarantees, promising to refund money if clients demonstrate that their ads are displayed outside the agreed-upon portfolio of website.[5]

Working conditions

Among other benefits, Undertone gives employees three to four weeks of vacation, pays 100% of premiums for health, life and disability insurance and gives everyone in the firm stock options. Employees also get a $5,000 bonus for referring staff members.

Undertone was recognized by Crain's New York in 2008,[6] 2009, 2010,[7] and 2011 as one of the Best Places to Work in New York City. In 2012, Advertising Age named Undertone the 9th Best Place to Work in Marketing & Media for the company's unique culture and emphasis on its employees.[8]

Acquisitions

In 2008, Undertone raised $47 million from JMI Equity to acquire smaller competitors.[3][9] In June 2014, Undertone signed an agreement to purchase Israeli digital media company Upfront Digital Media; it made the purchase in particular to benefit from Upfront's proprietary advertising platform.[10] Upfront, which was founded in 2010 as Legolas Media, offered managed and self-serve consoles for programmatic buying of ads direct to publishers and through a number of supply and demand partners.[11]

In June 2015, Undertone announced[12] the acquisition of Sparkflow,[13] an all-in-one platform for cross-screen rich media advertising. Sparkflow was founded in 2013 in Buenos Aires, Argentina by Sebastián Alberto Miret, Gabriel Sánchez Catena, and Rodrigo Oscar Vazquez, a team of digital marketing and advertising veterans with more than a decade’s experience in the rich media advertising ecosystem.

References
  1. "Ad tech firm Perion buys Undertone for $180 million in cash". Reuters. 1 December 2015.
  2. O'Malley, Gavin (February 3, 2012). "Undertone solidifies publisher network, signs exclusive deals with top titles". MediaPost. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
  3. Olsen, Stefanie (March 31, 2008). "Undertone Networks raises millions to buy online ad upstarts". CNET. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  4. "Undertone targeting options". Retrieved 2012-06-06.
  5. O'Malley, Gavin (March 7, 2012). "Undertone Promises Brand Lift of Money Back". MediaPost. Retrieved 2012-03-29.
  6. "Crain's Best Places to Work 2008".
  7. "Crain's Best Places to Work 2010".
  8. "Advertising Age Best Places to Work 2012". March 26, 2012.
  9. Fung, Amanda (April 19, 2008). "NY venture capital shrugs off recession". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  10. http://adage.com/article/digital/undertone-acquires-upfront-media/293657/
  11. http://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/undertone-acquires-programmatic-firm-upfront
  12. "Undertone Acquires Rich Media Platform Sparkflow - Undertone". Undertone. 18 June 2015.
  13. "Undertone Has Creative On The Brain, Snaps Up Mobile Ad Startup Sparkflow | AdExchanger". AdExchanger. 18 June 2015.
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