• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, February 11, 2010

At first, global expansion can create more headaches than benefits for companies. No one knows this better than Denise Colella, AudienceScience's newly appointed chief revenue officer, who plans to strengthen the company's international footprint.

For example, different laws in each country require extra time to work through nuances. "You have European Union laws and then local laws, which may or may not take precedence," she says. "It's important that we spend time working with local counsel to understand the laws and make sure we are in compliance. And we have to do that each time we make a step into a new country. It's a time-intensive process, but we owe that responsibility to our clients."

Today, AudienceScience operates in 16 countries supported by 130 employees, but not all countries have physical offices. With the company's latest round of funding, plans are to expand by opening new offices.

Colella, who headed international operations at Yahoo's RightMedia for the past two years, also believes marketers remain confused about data. Too much data and marketers simply stop dead in their tracks, raise their hands and cover both eyes.

Colella hopes to change that by educating marketers about gaining access to relevant data and understanding how it can become a revenue-generating tool.

Although data creates "fabulous" opportunities, it can also become dangerous, she says. Companies need to recognize their responsibilities, which include storing the data correctly, and helping clients understand how the data gets collected and used.

 AudienceScience reported record revenues in 2009, attributing 69% growth to operations, 48% to technology services, and 76% to media revenue. The company spent the last several years focusing on its targeting technology that collects and aggregates billions of online and offline data points. It searches across thousands of data sources, accessing more than 200 billion audience data points daily. The technology also organizes data to create audience segments that connects with 386 million people worldwide.

 

Data has also attracted 24/7 Real Media into behavioral targeting. The company reported Tuesday an agreement with Kantar Media company Compete. The partnership gives 24/7 data from Compete's consumer panel to analyze consumer behavior across the Web, including activities within brand sites.