There's been a lot of hype recently about behavioral networks. Tacoda's in the process of launching their network (ClickZ - Tacoda launches behavioral network) and other players in the space are right behind.
Tacoda is a technology company that helps publishers mine data to create behavioral segments. They've spent the last few years convincing publishers that their technology will create additional value from this data, a unique resource that will drive up CPMs.
Yet now they're launching a network, which in essence gives advertisers access to these same segments. This poses a channel conflict with their technology customers. If advertisers buy behaviorally-targeted users through the network, there's no reason to go to the publisher - which means there's no reason for the publisher to buy Tacoda's technology. Moreover, if Tacoda extends the network beyond its clients, there's no incentive to be a technology client at all.
So the technology clients - all major publishers - are doing the logical thing: charging Tacoda money for access to their behaviors. By doing this, they make sure that they get paid for their unique data regardless of who sells it. Makes total sense, but it ruins the cost-efficiency necessary for Tacoda to scale the network. Moreover, they'll sell these behaviors to anyone that wants them, so Tacoda has to compete with networks that have deeper pockets, strong agency relationships, and many non-behavioral deals to show when a particular user isn't in any segment.
My read on the situation is that Tacoda will be gobbled up in the next year. Their brand will be assimilated by a network vying for credibility in the behavioral space, and the concept of a purely behavioral network will disappear with them.
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