Verticals are the future of Advertising on the net, no doubt, IMHO…Along with Ads networks whereby advertisers not only get to “control” their own [Geo'd] targeting, [through Looksmart's AdCenter & VertSeek] but they also have first hand knowledge of their ROI’s, in the many optional markets on offer to them.

http://www.vertseek.com/search_technologies/

http://www.vertseek.com/properties/

Further consolidation in the online advertising industry is raising questions about the future of ValueClick Inc. But there are some reservations, according to this article ……

People are using media online in very different ways, such as blogs and social networks, which makes it more difficult to get out an advertising message, he said.

“Online advertising is changing to figure out the right way to get sponsored messages across to consumers in these channels. This is by no means straightforward,” he wrote in an e-mail. >

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/oct/13/rumors-swirling-on-valueclick-buy/

All, only an opinion of course.
:)
Ross