Tumblr Ads Can Now Run Across Yahoo Via Yahoo Gemini

In a sign of how Yahoo’s new mobile search and native ad marketplace, Yahoo Gemini, is becoming integral to the company’s ad growth plans, Yahoo announced today that Yahoo Gemini will power the syndication of Tumblr Sponsored Posts across Yahoo content.

For the first time, content from Tumblr Sponsored Posts will be seamlessly promoted across Yahoo and Tumblr, which reach more than 800 million average monthly visitors. Tumblr Sponsored Posts are now integrated and available through Yahoo Gemini, the industry’s only marketplace where advertisers can buy mobile search and native advertising.

The move gives Yahoo a way to integrate Tumblr, which it acquired for $1.1 billion last May, more fully into Yahoo’s ad offerings.

Advertisers can promote and target their Tumblr Sponsored Posts via Yahoo Gemini in native ads across Yahoo’s content streams, article pages, image galleries and digital magazines on all devices. The native ads will continue to have engagement functions such as like, reblog and follow as Sponsored Posts on Tumblr.

According to a recent Yahoo & Tumblr Ipsos Content Marketing Case Study, unaided brand awareness increased by 40 percent, brand consideration rose 31 percent and tagline recognition jumped 100 percent when people viewed content marketing across Yahoo and Tumblr.

Yahoo cites Lionsgate, Lexus and Lipton as initial advertisers working to promote content across Tumblr and Yahoo.

Yahoo needs a boost in its ad sales efforts. Display sales were flat year-over-year last quarter, an improvement from six quarterly consecutive slides. The Tumblr acquisition was a bold one for the company, meant to bring in younger audiences that would appeal to advertisers and allow the company to more fully embrace native advertising as opposed to traditional display banners.

The company launched Yahoo Gemini in February to make buying mobile and native advertising across Yahoo’s sites easier. It’s a self-serve platform that’s part of the existing Yahoo Ad Manager. The company is stepping up its promotion of Yahoo Gemini, and the addition of Tumblr to the marketplace should help increase advertiser interest.