Advertising - Instant Ads Set the Pace on the Web

“The more precise you can get in terms of being able to act on it as soon as you get that information, the better it will be.”

While companies have been plugging real-time bidding for a couple of years, industry heavyweights are now behind it. Google introduced its revised DoubleClick Ad Exchange, offering real-time bidding, in September. Yahoo is testing the process on its Right Media Exchange, and Microsoft on its AdECN exchange.

A consumer would barely notice the shift, except that ads might seem more relevant to exactly what they are shopping for. It is another way in which marketers are massaging information — and something that has raised ire in Washington, where the Federal Trade Commission has been holding discussions on tailored advertising.