Talbot quits Tempest for a life on the open road as Response Directive takes on Daily Mail
Monique Talbot, who founded online ad company Tempest before selling it to Adconion for a sum said to be more than $20m, is quitting, she revealed this morning.
She said: “The time has come for me to step aside and do something new.” She told Mumbrella she had no definite plans for what to do next, although she intended to stay involved with the Australian online industry.
She said: ‘It’s what I know and love. There are still a lot of opportunities for big brands and I think I might be able to help with that. I may join a couple of boards.”
Talbot began her digital career in the mid-90s selling the Reuters sales business information system, before going on to be the online sales and marketing manager of Yellow Pages. She also worked with Ozemail, before launching Tempest in 1999. She sold to Adconion towards the end of 2007.
Earlier this month, she revealed that major client Carsales was taking its ad sales in-house. Adconion represents sites including Business Spectator, Seek, AOL and Coles online.
Talbot told Mumbrella that the online industry still has three major opportunities for growth – branded content, video advertising and email marketing.
On branded content, she said that sites need to do more than simply put logos next to particular sections. She said: “If advertisers are going to pay big bucks you have to let them talk to the audience.”
She said that when it came to video advertising, few brands in Australia have yet properly seized the opportunity to tailor content for the web. She said: “Please – don’t make me watch another 30 second ad online.”
And for email marketing she said that with offers appropriate to the audience, it could deliver greater response than click-through advertising. She added: “It needs the right technology behind it though.”
Asked about the level of professionalism in the market, she said it was generally high but added: “The thing that will clean up the industry is the economic tsunami.”
She added: “The IAB has a tough gig getting everyone singing off the same song sheet.”
Talbot now plans a road trip along on the west coast of the US.
Meanwhile rival sales house Response Directive – which was bought by IDM last year – has signed up two new sites. It will now handle the claimed 490,000 expat readers of the UK-based Daily Mail site, and car sales site AutoMarket.
Managing Director Jane Dinneen said: “We are taking a very considered approach to partnering with sites that offer fresh and responsive audiences for advertisers. Both sites are valuable additions to our growing portfolio and reflect our growth strategy for 09.”
Other sites represented by Online Directive include Shopping.com and and banner ads on Hoyts’ New Zealand site.
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Best wishes to Monique – who I first met when she was at Ozemail (seems like yesterday in some ways). A real pioneer and strong advocate for the Australian industry and a great success story. Very much looking forward to seeing her next moves – after a well earned break – people like Monique don’t sit still for long!
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