The Jamaican-based startup Wippl is a Caribbean online advertising networking that seeks ” to connect you with advertising from Caribbean brands. Relevant ads that complement your content means you make money. Wippl eliminates the need for advertising sales and engineering teams, so you᾿ll save money. ”
It’s the second Caribbean Online Ad Network that’s launch from Jamaican and in the Caribbean. The first was Caribclix which was the Caribbean’s first online ad network and was launched in 2008. Full disclosure, I was a co-founder of that venture and also inclided Sandor Panton, Jamie Ranston, Leighton Scarlett and Chad Cunningham.
Caribclix flopped we believe because it was ahead of its time and Caribbean brands and publishers were simply not ready. In 2008, the Caribbean Internet population at just over 2M in the English, French & Dutch Speaking Caribbean – now it is 17,211,359 Internet users as of Dec 31, 2014. Back then the Caribbean Internet penetration was 20%, now it is 40.9 % penetration rate.
That said, while Wippl launches now in a Caribbean Internet Market that is larger and more primed for online advertising, but also within the context that there is now the social media and online advertising juggernaut called Facebook around and not to mention Google.
Regardless, I personally wish Wippl much success in this tough business. Keep us posted
