Traffiq Gets Heavy With Targeting Tools

Mark Kahn

Change is afoot at Traffiq. On the heels of some operational restructuring, the online ad marketplace is debuting a new suite of planning and buying tools.

Using what it calls an "attribute matching engine," the company is providing a range of ad targeting options, including contextual, behavioral, re-targeting, geotargeting and user-registration data.

Traffiq will also now organize publisher data into logical groupings of sites, networks and channels, which should make it easier to find relevant inventory.

"We're helping agencies and advertisers build better campaigns and buy better inventory, said Mark Kahn, CEO of Traffiq. "Throughout the course of developing these new features, we listened closely to the agencies, advertisers and publishers."

Meanwhile, new "smart inventory packaging" functionality should help publishers offer multiple options, or "channels."

Conversely, marketers will be able to drill down into individual content or site section channels, which carry their own unique audience, content and ad-serving information.

The product upgrade follows several management changes at Traffiq. Scott Portugal, SVP of business development, was named chief revenue officer, while Vice President of Agency Development Chris O'Hara was named SVP of sales and marketing, where he will now oversee agency development, publisher development and marketing.

Among other such technology providers, Traffiq is benefiting from agencies' increasing reliance on automated systems to buy and manage their online ad campaigns.

Last summer, the New York-based startup entered into a partnership with Havas Digital to automate online media planning and buying in the agency's New York, Boston and Chicago offices. Soon after, it raised $10 million in a second-round venture financing led by Grotech Ventures and Greenhill SAVP and including prior investor Court Square Ventures.

The developments coincided with another New York-based startup -- MediaMath, which secured $12.5 million in venture capital and debt financing led by Safeguard Scientifics. For its part, MediaMath claims to serve billions of ads per month through its platform on behalf of 20 agencies, including the major holding companies.

Like MediaMath, Traffiq faces stiff competition from established companies like Donovan Data Systems and MediaBank.

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