Watch the short video interview with Ammiel Kamon, Kontera’s EVP Marketing, given at the iMedia Brand Summit held last month. See what makes Kontera’s In-Text advertising solution unique.
Michael was first introduced to Kontera in 2007 while working with them at SmartMoney. In October, he became the newest member of the Strategic team where his focus will be on developing partnerships with premium publishers.
Michael grew up in northern New Jersey and attended the University of Maryland (he’s the third MD alum to work at Kontera). Outside of the office Michael enjoys traveling, surfing, and spending time with family and friends.
What was your role at SmartMoney?
I first joined SmartMoney as their Director of Digital Advertising on the west coast before moving to New York in 2008 to become their Director of Digital Strategy. In that role I worked as a liaison between ad sales, editorial, and marketing and was responsible for identifying new partnership opportunities with outside vendors.
What was the publication trying to do in terms of monetization and user value? What are the main factors that premium publishers take into account when choosing which monetization strategies to employ?
At SmartMoney’s core, the goal of the site is to be an empowerment tool that enables its users to make intelligent investing decisions. In that same light, SmartMoney looks to attract and partner with advertisers that can deliver additional value to its audience through the products and services they offer. These same principles carried over to the decision-making process when determining which vendors to partner with. Of course, revenue potential was always heavily weighed, but keeping true to user intent was equally as important. On some level there had to be a benefit to the users as well. I would say most publishers fall into that same line of thinking when evaluating which vendors to work with.
Why did you look at In-Text Advertising?
We first considered In-Text Advertising after seeing that more publishers (large and small) began adopting the technology. We also felt that we could have been doing more in terms of working with additional technology providers that could help to further monetize the site – be it with rich media, mobile, behavioral or In-Text advertising. Ultimately, we decided that In-Text advertising was something we could test without dedicating a lot of time and internal resources.
Why did you choose Kontera? What separated Kontera’s In-Text solution from other offerings on the market?
The decision to work with Kontera boiled down to a couple of key solutions that we didn’t find were offered from their competitors. While the revenue was certainly an important motivating factor, we were more so impressed with Kontera’s hybrid unit and its ability to both deliver related content to our users and keep them engaged. When we first evaluated in-text advertising we did not realize it was something that could actually add to the user experience. We also were excited about Kontera’s white label solution as it allowed our sales team to go to market with an additional product to sell to advertisers.
From your experience, what “words of wisdom” or recommendations do you have for publishers as they set out on their journey to grow their websites?
I believe the key to growing and sustaining a successful website lies first and foremost with audience engagement. Does the site keep a constant dialogue going with its users and truly understand their intent? More importantly, do they provide them with a reason to come back to the site on a daily or weekly basis? If the answer is no, I don’t think it’s possible to succeed in the long run. From a monetization standpoint, ad integration that is appropriate and introduced to an audience naturally is not only a good thing for the advertiser and publisher, but something that can end up being useful to the user as well. At the end of the day, relevancy seems to be the key to keeping both users and advertisers happy (and publishers wealthier).
How did Kontera deliver for you over the years?
While I was with SmartMoney, Kontera provided us with a consistent revenue stream that we could count on month-to-month, as well as top-notch customer support. We were always impressed with the proactive nature of Kontera’s Publisher Services Team. Good customer service was not something you could automatically expect from all vendors.
Why did you join Kontera and what is your role with the company?
As a former client and someone who understands and believes in the technology I felt that working at Kontera would be an exciting opportunity for me. I also felt that I would be joining a great team and a company that was committed to success, while also having fun in the process. As a part of the strategic team I am looking forward to establishing additional partnerships within the premium vertical and extending Kontera’s contextual advertising technology to the top properties on the web.
Kontera has recently announced the closing of a $15.5 million financing round, led by Sequoia Capital, with participation from Carmel Ventures and Tenaya Capital. Today, we are glad to interview Kontera’s CEO and co-founder, Yoav Shaham, whom we want to ask more about this exciting news as well as Kontera’s continued growth.
Yoav, you have been pioneering this space for almost 10 years, has your vision for the technology and the company changed throughout this time? And if so, how has it changed?
The original mission that we set for ourselves, to serve users by connecting the web’s information through an understanding of the true meaning of content and identifying user’s interests on any page, has not changed.
The technological approach and the algorithms that we use have gone through several major evolutions including growing from client to server solutions, and from business rules to more statistical analysis approaches to prediction of user intent.
Kontera has been profitable for some time, and growing very rapidly, why raise money now?
Yes, we’ve been asked this question a few times in recent weeks. We certainly did not need the additional funds for survival. Not only were we profitable, we also had a nice amount of cash in the bank. However, we identified some significant emerging opportunities in the market, and we want to ensure that Kontera is a dominant player. We believe that an injection of cash now allows us to make quicker and bigger moves in the marketplace, while maintaining our track-record of fiscally responsible operations.
Why did Sequoia Capital invest and lead such a large late-stage financing?
First of all I’m not exactly the best person to answer this question… What I can say is that this is a great testimonial for us, from one of the best Venture Capital investors in the world. They happen to know the search and advertising space very well, and they are very familiar with Kontera. Sequoia had a major stake in our company previously, but their recent investment is a clear indication of their confidence in how large this company can become. They did not need to lead this round, nor participate to the extent that they did. There were several external investors that wanted to come in, but Sequoia wanted to lead this round and to increase their stake, and we are honored by that validation.
What is your vision for growing the company? Do you anticipate any structural or organizational changes?
Growth always requisites some changes with it, it’s a function of maturity. In our case we’ve successfully managed transitions from 25 to 50 people, from 50 to 100, and from 100 to our current size. We are currently laying the foundational infrastructure required to run an organization of 250 and more people. I do not want to get into specifics, but can share that one of our highest priorities is to pursue excellence for the entire company. We are investing significantly in our people, their growth, and in our management. Historically we’ve been technologically, and engineering focused, with a smaller investment in market facing activities. Going forward we intend to increase our R&D ranks, and to significantly increase the sales, marketing, and services functions.
What are the implications to end users, and the more than 100 Million consumers who view Kontera’s technology in action each month?
As I mentioned earlier, our vision is to connect the Internet’s information dynamically to satisfy users’ current needs. Throughout the years we’ve continually improved the user experience, and the relevancy that we’re able to attain and deliver to consumers, today, is second to none. Looking ahead, users will see even greater utility as we increase that ad relevancy, as we increase the number of formats of in-text advertising offerings, and as we grow the breadth of information that we are able to bring to each pageview.
Our related-content and Hybrid offerings deliver beneficial consumer information, and we intend to do more in the area of In-Text related content. Also, within the advertising domain, we find that in many cases consumers prefer In-text advertising to much of the” loud” advertising that currently dominates sites and often occupies more that 30% of publishers’ page real-estate. Good in-text advertising can help users to better enjoy their internet experience. With this funding we will be able to more quickly provide users with a better experience at each of our publishers’ sites, and a better internet experience overall.
What does this funding mean for Kontera’s Publishers and overall network?
The user benefits I just discussed will also accrue to our publishers, whose core mission is to create and maintain their user communities. More engaged and satisfied users equate to healthier operations for our publishers. In addition, over time, Kontera’s publishers will be seeing new forms of engagement and related information for their audiences, and greater monetization opportunities for their content.
What does this funding mean for Kontera’s Advertisers?
Advertisers are looking for good return on investment for their advertising dollars. This may translate into more effective branding campaigns for some, or more effective direct-response campaigns for others. In either case, we’ll be able to deliver greater returns and greater performance for advertisers. The ways that this happens is first through our work on greater relevancy and user experience as discussed above, and second through greater engagement within our existing ad units and through creation of new innovative advertising units.
Where do you foresee taking the technology and products from here?
I don’t want to discuss our plans in too much detail, but there are a few headlines that I can probably share. The first is our on-going refinements to the relevancy engine. This is an analog to the R&D work that you see the search-engine vendors perform. This type of low-level algorithmic work does not produce many bells and whistles because the work is largely done on the back end. However, this is really the heart of the solution and improvements here create greater satisfaction for users and much greater financial results for advertisers and publishers. In addition you will see us offer greater flexibility and configurability, and customization ability for the various publishers and advertisers with whom we work. The last area to mention is the ever-growing set of tools that we provide to advertisers and publishers for utilizing our In-Text advertising and related content solutions.
Keren Zohar has been with Kontera for over two years, during which she managed HR operations and has overseen many organizational changes that accompanied Kontera’s corporate growth. It was a pleasure to meet with Keren to learn more about Kontera’s recruitment and get a few tips about looking for a job as well as getting your foot in the door at Kontera. In Keren’s personal life, she is a proud newlywed, and this is a great chance to wish her and husband the best–all the happiness and success to both.
With the current economic and employment market situation and implications, have there been changes in trends regarding the way people execute a job hunt? Anything creative or new you’ve seen?
There’s no question that people see a tighter gap of competition for a position. We are seeing more applications coming in all the time. This of course brings a new level in qualifications of experience, education, and other hiring criteria. I also have found that people are really taking their job search further—they are utilizing and leveraging all their resources; essentially “anything goes”. People have expanded their job hunts to rely more heavily on social media and online networking as a supplement to traditional means for searching.
We don’t want anyone to feel discouraged, so maybe you can clue us in: as an HR manager of an online network, what strategies do you best relate with for finding the right candidate?
I search the web and use different recruiting strategies to find good candidates or potential employees. When using the web, LinkedIn is a very useful tool, as it makes desirable web professionals more accessible and easy to contact directly without the need for a recruiting agency as a middle man. I also join and take part in professional and other relevant forums and in several Facebook groups that enable me to reach a broader spectrum of candidates. Like many companies, we also rely a great deal on our current employees and business partners to bring in fresh faces for our team.
Based on your experience, what defines someone well fit for Kontera?
First and foremost, we’re looking for people who have an aptitude for technology and are truly passionate about the web. Kontera wants individuals who can demonstrate their passion for the web right off the bat. A team-player attitude and willingness to be dynamic with their position are crucial traits. Like the Internet, the company is evolving constantly, rapidly, and always presenting a new twist. Employees should be ready for new challenges and get excited about them. We work hard, but it’s important for us to keep the office environment fun and light—we’re looking for people who will contribute to making our coffee breaks and lunch time fun.
Since you are the first person to interview prospective employees, I’m sure you’ve seen all sorts of interviews, good and bad. Any examples or tips as to do or not when interviewing?
Assuming that you want to get hired please turn off your cell phone before the interview begins… Another hint – if you forgot to do so – taking that call is not a good idea either 
. On a more serious note – there’s the obvious rule of thumb: come prepared! Research the company you are interviewing with so that you know what you’re getting into and they know you’re serious. It’s always good to get familiar with the market competitors so you can demonstrate a wider knowledge of the company’s challenges. Work out your “sales pitch”, explain why you are the best possible candidate for a position, be ready to include facts that will promote your “personal brand” into the answers you are giving the recruiter. Mention your successes and initiatives, but try not to come off arrogant – balance is key.
We’re looking for confident, energetic people where the resume and personality meet to reflect the way you’ll deal with our work environment. For the most part, recruiters are looking for focused people—those that present themselves with confidence and send out a message that they’re the best match for the position.
Bottom line, is Kontera hiring?
Absolutely – we’re always on the lookout for talented people and have recently opened a few positions in our US and Israel offices, which you can read more about in our Careers page.
Tired of browsing through streaming video sites just to hear the latest hit songs or an obscure beat? Often music searches on the web end in a tragic stream of low quality, choppy, disastrous renditions of your favorite jams. The music search is over as Kontera is glad to present our May Publisher of the Month: musicremedy.com.
MusicRemedy is an extensive source of information completely music-centric, of course. The site includes everything a music lover could look for including news, songs, pictures, videos, a forum and much more. MusicRemedy.com allows users to listen to full songs, watch full videos, and have other multi-media experiences completely free of charge. This is a fantastic way to help potential music buyers decide what they like the best or just get introduced to tracks they wouldn’t otherwise hear.
One thing that MusicRemedy.com has done to set itself apart from other music sites is include a section dedicated to contests. This section features opportunities for users to win great prizes by answering music trivia questions. Some of the questions take some major digging in order to find answers, but are proven well worth the search as prizes like music memorabilia, autographed CD’s, and gift sets are given away regularly.
As part of Kontera’s Publisher of the Month series, we had a chance to interview Jermy Leeuwis MSc of MusicRemedy.com to gather insight on this truly “note-worthy” online music destination.
What inspired you to start Musicremedy.com?
My passion for music, to keep it short. Like most people, I too have been listening to music for all my life. I am not a great singer nor dancer but I enjoy listening to (new) music. Listening, watching, reading and writing about music became my passion. Combine music and some computer-skills, you have a music website titled “MusicRemedy”.
Dedicated music fans are sometimes known to be vocal and opinionated, and with the idea of Web 2.0 at full reign, what have you done to provide an outlet for user-input on Musicremedy.com?
There are different kinds of being ‘dedicated’ to music. The dedicated music fans, MusicRemedy targets at, want to be info- and entertained without being too ‘Mr. Know-It-All’. This means that they want to have fun through reading, commenting, listening and watching their favorite music.
What strategies do you employ to create such a great balance of content ranging from well-known artists as well as independent and non-label-affiliated musicians?
It is quite simple: “Let your visitors be the judge.” This means that MusicRemedy features new music everyday whether it is independent or famous. Naturally, a selection has been made of the finest so visitors will listen to the latest and the best. This way the visitor does not have to search hours for new songs but uses his time wisely to listen to great music on MusicRemedy.
Musicremedy.com covers a wide range of music content, based on your users’ feedback, who are the current top five artists? What do they have in common if anything?
Naturally, Hip-Hop and R&B are doing very well the last few years but rock is still rocking 
. Anyway, here goes: 
Eminem, Keyshia Cole, Lady Gaga, Kid Cudi, Elliott Yamin.
All five have in common that the music genres ‘Hip-Hop’ and ‘R&B’ have become popular. These songs can be categorized as Hip-Hop or R&B but also as pop songs. I know there are quite a few people who will disagree but the facts show otherwise.
When did you start monetizing Musicremedy.com and what role does In-Text advertising play in your overall monetization strategy?
Musicremedy started over ten years ago and grew over the years to a loveable music site. About nine years a few companies were interested in advertising, while we were trying to make the site bigger and better. At some point the site’s development and maintenance requires some costs and so the site had to make a few bucks.
After a few years new sorts of advertisements appeared on the internet (ie., in-text, video, etc…). In all business activities you need to stay focus and innovate. So we did. In-Text has been around a few years but not as heavily targeted as nowadays. I assume this is because a lot of blogs use them.
The main advantage of Kontera In-Text is that it is not annoying like popups and visitors can choose whether to view and/or click. This combined with quality content, will give you better earnings without lowering other earnings.
In what direction do you see your site moving in the coming year? Are there specific sections of your site that you are working to develop further?
There are quite a lot of movements coming up. First, a fresh new design we have been working on for over a year. Afterwards very interesting functions will be added for even more information about artists and naturally, more interaction for our visitors. Sorry but I can not tell you more because it is highly classified .
Ok ok, if you insist. Our latest section “Upcoming Songs” is one of these new developments which is becoming more popular every minute. In the upcoming months this section will get more user-input. This section, and upcoming ones, are also available as RSS-feeds making it interesting for visitors to use on their blogs or personal sites.
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