Yahoo’s financial struggles mean more autonomy for Tumblr

Yahoo is reportedly set to make Tumblr a bit more autonomous, at least where monetization is concerned. Business Insider is reporting that after combining the Yahoo and Tumblr sales staff, Marissa Mayer is now positioning the Tumblr sales staff a standalone entity — just as it was in 2013 when Yahoo acquired the company. Yahoo also promised Tumblr would remain a standalone company, but reneged on that. This move comes as Yahoo missed earnings expectations, and is in the midst of reorganizing internally as it forges a path forward. Oddly, it seems Mayer and the board are at odds on what Yahoo’s next steps may be. The popular thinking is that Yahoo will become like a shell corporation that does little more than hold shares of Alibaba. If that’s the case, Tumblr may be sold off, which makes this move an interesting one. Less ties to Yahoo make it low-hanging fruit for anyone looking to acquire a social solution with a hefty user base. Tumblr’s official line on the sales team folding back into the company proper is that it “has introduced a number of innovative ad products to maximize value for our advertisers and best meet their needs. To further support these efforts moving forward, we have returned to a dedicated direct sales team.”