Opera debuts native ad exchange for mobiles

Opera Mediaworks has launched a global, native ad exchange for the buying and selling of integrated advertising experiences on mobile devices.

The exchange is a marketplace extension of its programmatic display and video offering, the Opera Mediaworks Ad Exchange (OMAX), which it launched in 2013.
The company says it is working with “more than a dozen” different native demand sources, including Appsfire, AppList, adMarketplace, Bidtellect, Facebook, HeyZap, TapSense, NativeAd.com and Opera Response.
In-app inventory will make up the majority of supply in Opera Mediaworks’ new native ad exchange.
Publishing partners include Demand Media, WildTangent, Gogii Games and Pinsight Media, per a release. ZeptoLab, the gaming company behind “Cut the Rope,” was an early adopter of the new native exchange, per a release.
“Programmatic buying has become top of mind for both publishers and advertisers for very good reason,” says Mark Fruehan, President of Publisher Services, Global Supply, at Opera Mediaworks. “It’s a more workflow efficient environment that automates the often lengthy insertion order process and brings greater audience insight to premium ad buys. Combining that efficiency with the proven impact of native ad units is extremely exciting.”
“There’s no doubt that programmatic will drive the future of mobile advertising because of the scale and efficiency it delivers, but there are concerns over quality,” says Mahi de Silva, CEO, Opera Mediaworks. “Native ads are high quality by their very nature: highly customizable with high-yield, delivering a great consumer experience. Our new native ad exchange is the best way to take these high-impact units and distribute them across the mobile landscape.”