Buyers Love Tumblr, but Want a Lot More

Microblogging site juggles memes, media buyers

Tumblr has a problem: advertisers can’t get enough.

It's a good problem to have, especially considering that Tumbler didn't even sell proprietary ads until last spring, when it rolled out its Radar and Spotlight units.

With Radar, brands can pay to promote a Tumblr post on users’ dashboards (similar to Facebook’s News Feed), while Spotlight lets brands promote their own Tumblrs in various categories like “entertainment,” “design” and “funny.”

One challenge for advertisers is that, unlike easy-bake, IAB-approved banners, these two units fall under the buzzy “native ads” umbrella, making them the opposite of commodity inventory.

AW+

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Spring Special

Save 30% Off an ADWEEK Subscription Today!

View Your Options

Already a member? Sign in