• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, September 21, 2009

Online ad services company ValueClick on Monday is expected to launch a vertical ad network targeting moms. "Moms control 80 percent of all household spending, which represents $1.7 trillion annually, so we expect a wide range of marketers will find value in a partner like Moms Media," said Bill Todd, general manager at ValueClick Media.

Moms Media will attempt to lure marketers with the prospect of reaching the more than 40 million women in the U.S. who have children under 18 and spend time online. At launch, the network will have a potential reach of over 17 million unique visitors per month, according to comScore Media Metrix.

The network will be made up of about 40 publishers, including Baby Crowd, Betty Confidential, Diva Village, Epigee.org, Family Shopping Bag, Family Travel Forum, It's A Moms World, StorkNet, The Green Mom Review, Village Mama.

Despite a slumping ad market, ValueClick has had its share of good news this year. This summer, a judge in California dismissed a $45 million spam lawsuit brought by Internet service provider Hypertouch against ValueClick. Last year, ValueClick agreed to pay $2.9 million to settle a Federal Trade Commission probe of the company's marketing tactics.

In regard to the Moms Media network, targeting options include contextual placement alongside relevant content for moms, as well as behavioral targeting segments that include Family Travel, Family Shopping, Just for Moms, Family & Parenting Resources, Home Makers, Urban Moms and Wealthy Moms.

In addition, geo-demographic targeting and visitor retargeting options make Moms Media the network with the greatest number of ways to reach moms online.