adBrite, one of the top 5 alternatives to Google AdSense has decided to call it a day after almost a decade in the industry. The online monetizing platform which claims to be “the largest independent ad exchange, reaching 300 million global unique visitors every month†has sent an email out to advertisers and publishers saying the operations will cease on the 1st February 2013. Though it is not clear why the platform has decided to shut itself down, there is huge potential behind the well established organization. Below is an extract from the email sent out to it’s members days before it plans to close down: Dear adBrite Publisher, Over the last few weeks, adBrite and its management have been evaluating the go-forward plan for the business. Given market conditions and certain financial liabilities, in working with our lenders, we have decided to cease operations on Feb 1, 2013. This is a difficult decision for all of us at adBrite. However, after much deliberation this seems to be the best course of action despite the impact it will have on all the employees, clients and partners who helped build this business. There will be a team in place as needed to assist with winding down. Thank you for being part of the adBrite community. The adBrite Team Source: http://www.technouz.com/829/adbrite-ceases-operations-1st-feb-2013/
I hope the others don't follow. AdSense have a crazy monopoly over this industry, particularly for new(er) webmasters - and they ban you as they please!
Well, this is worrisome and annoying at the same time... if alternatives for publisher keep on narrowing at this pace, more than one of us will be in trouble when it comes to promoting certain products. As said above, "hope that others don't follow"
AdBrite shutting down is definitely going to raise some eyebrows about the future of small publishers and their means of monetization. It will be interesting to see what the millions of publishers will do with their ad tags and which alternative they'll go for. Good luck to all!
They've never been very good. Why go for adBrite when you could go for AdSense? To be honest, it was only those who were banned by AdSense that felt the need to use adBrite as publishers. They should have attacked the porn marketing industry... they had all the elements in place to do it.
Wow, and these guys were no small potatoes, they had over $40 million in funding from Sequoia Capital
adBrite shutting down is no surprise. This is nothing but Seth Godin's correct prediction of "Interruption Marketing" failing. There is no point in trying to turn the web into television and that's what everyone who's running ads is doing. Customers don't go to websites to look at ads and they never will unless you pay them and even then that won't work. If you want to know why adBrite didn't make it read the first 4 chapters of Permission Marketing http://www.sethgodin.com/permission/thanks.asp and you'll be enlightened.
Conversion was the game changer. Display advertising was a thing of yahoo age. I wonder what will happen to facebook modules
The reason they closed up shop is they were built to be bought out like most startups are. The investors and founders make money by exiting (i.e. selling the business) and adBrite never could grow large enough to become attractive to their target buyer (Google etc). See http://www.forbes.com/sites/alextaub/2012/09/27/the-dirty-secret-about-making-money-doing-startups/
Will they pay out all money pending? I've got a nice three figure sum waiting to be paid to me! Will I get it!? They suggested they're keeping some people on to close up accounts etc?!
From a publishers perspective... these guys paid pennies for AdSense's dollars. I found their payouts not even worth bothering with. If your Adsense gets banned for whatever reason (legitimate or not) there are ways to get new accounts. Much better that getting .05 a click!
I honestly thought a company like adBrite would be making more than enough money to stay afloat and please their board of directors... Just shows how much I actually know. RIP AdBrite!