The proverbial two-way street

The rise of vertical ad networks has proven a boon for advertisers, and the publishers and networks that love 'em, reports Advertising Age.

By creating or partnering with online vertical ad networks, publishers can extend the reach of their advertising sales staff, bringing in more money with less work.

Crucially, greater reach occurs within niche content areas the core publication is already a player in — which in turn draws salivating advertisers.
This thinking is part of what's behind the rise in the number of vertical networks. And because of their niche focus, brand managers often find them preferable to the un-focused reach of big portals.