A few hours ahead of its post-U.S. market earnings release, Yahoo is doing its best to show action with two announcements on the advertising front. The company has acquired Troy, NY-based AdInterax; Yahoo says the company’s rich media platform will be the basis for a self-service creative/campaign model that will be free for marketers and is to be used in tandem with other Yahoo advertising options like behavioral targeting. Marketers will still be able to choose their own rich media vendor. No financial terms disclosed; AdInterax was founded in 1999 by Peter Matsuo, CEO, and Dr. Marcus Doemling, EVP/CTO. The two will be joining Yahoo. (It’s unclear just now if they are moving to Yahoo; will update on that.) Release.
At the same time, Yahoo announced a strategic investment in Right Media Inc., acquiring 20 percent of the company and agreeing to make its non-premium inventory available for auction on the Right Media Exchange. The investment in the NY-based company, founded in 2003, leads a $45 million second round of funding for Right Media; other investors include Redpoint Ventures, which in 2005 promised a minimum first-round investment of $7.25 million.  Release. Michael Walrath, CEO and founder of Right Media: “It catapults us to a new level of visibility....Yahoo’s faith in us and the power of the open exchange will be evident not only in their investment, but in their participation as well.”
Update: Some perspective on the Right Media move from AdAge.
Related: Tribune, FIM, Others Try Ad Auctions Monetize To Make Money From Low-Traffic Pages