科技广告巨头初长成

    46岁的里恩向张和另一位高中同学威斯特•沃尔科特沟通了自己的想法。张曾经建立了J Crew的网站。凯马特（Kmart）的电子商务网站Bluelight.com于1999年建立时，他和里恩曾是同事。沃尔科特曾就职于软件巨头Siebel，里恩下了不少功夫才把他挖了过来。2006年初，这两位伙伴和里恩一起，在加利福尼亚的101公路上来来回回地采访硅谷的搜索营销商，了解他们管理网络广告的经验。他们发现，这些营销商的管理都以巨头微软（Microsoft）的Excel电子表格为核心。里恩说：“很多网络营销商都为其擅长使用Excel而深感自豪，这是一件伤心而可怕的事情。”在几次采访之后，沃尔科特确信他们需要一种新型软件。

    很快就到了2012年，Marin正在飞速发展。公司计划明年首次公开募股。与此同时，Marin正准备迎接今年最大的广告周末：感恩节。去年，黑色星期五的网络消费比2010年增长了24%。如今，消费者的注意力即将被出价最高的广告竞标者所吸引，因此Marin希望它的客户们能够做好准备，赢得这场广告竞赛。让我们拭目以待吧。

    译者：严匡正

    Lien, 46, shared his idea with Chang and a former high school classmate, Wister Walcott. Chang had built J.Crew's website and was a co-worker with Lien at Bluelight.com, Kmart's ecommerce site, when it launched in 1999. Walcott, who came from software giant Siebel, required a bit more convincing. Alongside Lien, the duo drove up and down California's highway 101 in early 2006, interviewing search marketers in Silicon Valley about their experience managing online ads. What they found was a method centered around bulky Microsoft (MSFT) Excel spreadsheets. "A lot of online marketers are very proud of how good they are at Excel," says Lien. "Which is kind of a sad and scary thing." After a half-dozen interviews, Walcott was convinced that new software was needed.

    Fast forward to 2012 and Marin Software is roaring. The company has plans for an IPO next year. In the meantime, Marin will gear up for its biggest advertising weekend of the year: Thanksgiving. Last year, online spending on Black Friday increased 24% from 2010. The attention of consumers is up for grabs to the highest bidder, and Marin Software wants its clients to be ready. You can bet on it.