advanced store and WOM Protocol start a cooperation: Blockchain meets display advertising

The idea of decentralized data banks in form of blockchain is nothing new among industry experts. The advantages are clear, as data isn’t saved centrally but instead mirror the connection of many computers, protected from misuse or deficiencies. That is particularly important for sensitive data, such as financial transactions, which is what Melanie Mohr, founder of WOM Protocol, is also using for her new project. What is even more interesting is the preparation behind the project. Together with WOM Protocol advanced store will in fact define the role of the advertiser. Because who would be better fitted for the creation of advertising, than the advertiser itself?

About advanced store: between advertisers and publishers

Founded in 2008 by Marc Majewski, advanced store provides to the market CPO-based solutions around Performance Advertising and has successfully established itself as a technological interface between advertisers and publishers worldwide.

“Over 600 advertisers and global brands as well as thousands of publishers today trust our internally developed technologies. Why? Because we understand both sides of the industry and their requirements, and we develop our solutions and strategies smoothly. In the end what counts is that the individual goal of each customer is reached. That is why is it important to understand both sides. We support in the setup of media budgets, ensure that they are used according to the particular campaign goal, and this is especially important: We only bill success. That’s what CPO- driven performance advertising stands for. “

Marc Majewski, CEO advanced store

As a technology company, advanced store sees the future of online marketing solutions as programmed as much as possible. As an example, our team of 42 employees located in Berlin has developed its own media technology lead by AI , which enables a comprehensive reach through the connection of multiple DSPs.

The data-based user approach is at the center of the strategy and thus brings the missing components into the boat, the element which connects advertisers and publishers: the user. Finally advertising must come at the right time and place, with the right content and to the right person. Thus it needs creativity, experience, know-how and a holistic technical concept, which can be implemented on our own. This is what we have been standing for with our 10 years of experience and support received from the EU in 2018 for the development of an AI approach.

To be a pioneer: Find new ways and act

There is no industry which evolves more than Online Marketing. The reason is not only because there are unlimited possibilities and always new available channels. Starting with classic banner ads on websites, video ads in social networks to publisher tools, price comparison for mobile phone prices, which places the user friendliness on front stage. The ways to reach users has no limit. Without the right strategy advertising doesn’t work anymore in this universe, finally the user has become more demanding. This is one of the reasons that drives advanced store to identify trends within this industry and adapt accordingly. Sometimes some well tried practices in affiliate marketing need to be rethought.

With almost 20 years of collaboration with the global affiliate network market leader AWIN, advanced store’s various products generate over 100 million Ad Impressions daily in the fields of telecommunication, finance, travel, energy, retail & shopping. At this point, it is time to create new paths and co-determine the future of online marketing. To quote the CEO Marc Majewski:

We are ready to ask ourselves how affiliate marketing will work in the future in order to bring this business model to its biggest potential. Thus we support entrepreneurs who develop new strategies such as the blockchain model, represented by the WOM protocol and founded by Melanie Mohr.

Marc Majewski, CEO advanced store

The idea behind the WOM Protocol

WOM Protocol (Word-of-Mouth) is an innovative blockchain-based MarTech solution that enables brands, content creators, publishers and social networks to monetize word-of-mouth recommendations on any app or platform.

The motivation behind this technical solution is simple: Today, users are very sensitive to classic online advertising, especially if they are aggressive and have a negative impact on the reading flow. At the same time, brands and advertisers waste valuable media budgets because they compete for the few remaining advertising spaces. So the market is oversaturated and the user-friendliness is affected the most. Apps, platforms and publishers in particular are waging the eternal fight between securing sources of income and affecting user-friendliness.

Real suggestions from real users

This is where WOM Protocol comes in: advertising has to break itself from its dusty image and break new grounds. From this the WOM Protocol created its motto: “The Future of Marketing is Ad-free”. The idea WOM Protocol wants to take advantage of is based on a very human principle: the most convincing advertising is and remains a recommendation from other people who are convinced of the product or service themselves.

So there are three striking arguments put forward by founder Melanie Mohr about her blockchain project:

1. Recommendations are more convincing than traditional advertising

2. Customers can create more authentic advertising than the brand itself

3. Users who recommend something should be rewarded for it

Tokens will be a much more authentic type of advertising, as they are logged and validated on the blockchain. The purpose behind this is that the community of content creators, content tributers, content validators and brands can co-determine the development of the project.

A new approach for display & native advertising

The approach of getting the user on board as an advertiser is particularly interesting for advanced store. User-generated recommendations in combination with classic advertising content or even as a replacement offer a completely new opportunity to positively change the perception of advertising. User-created content scores points with a high trust potential and resulting in a high persuasive power. Using the blockchain as a validation tool is an innovative approach that ideally complements this future conscious idea.

Many brands are now open to alternative ways in the field of ​​performance advertising, after all it is important to serve a saturated market. This is best done by offering smart solutions that add value to the user. The need for advertising based on user-generated content is there, as is the willingness of brands to pay for it.

Marc Majewski, CEO advanced store

For advanced store, the cooperation with WOM Protocol is primarily a project: to transfer the persuasiveness of influencers to the classic native and display advertising formats and thus generate new reach for customers. Banner advertising is far from dead, it just has to be rethought.