• by Tameka Kee , August 5, 2008

Yahoo has added contextual targeting to the array of display ad products available via the Right Media Exchange.

Reston, Va.-based LucidMedia is the advertising technology company powering the new targeting capability, which runs on a proprietary engine called ClickSense. ClickSense analyzes the content of the whole page as opposed to a specific keyword--a move toward offering more precise contextual matches with fewer false-positives and negatives.

Advertisers can target consumers across more than 60 content channels, including automotive, clothing and apparel and finance. LucidMedia's analytics provide campaign performance details by site and page, as well as by impression.

"We show you every URL that an ad has run on, and we can tell you why," said LucidMedia Founder, President and CEO Ajay Sravanapudi. "If we targeted a breast cancer treatment ad, for example, the reports would show phrases from the page that justified its placement. It's full transparency at the impression level." ClickSense also allows for the exclusion of channels and sites from the onset.

Right Media Exchange users have two ways to obtain the contextually targeted inventory--either by bidding on LucidMedia units directly, or on LucidMedia units contracted through another network. "If a Right Media Exchange member is plugged into the LucidMedia service, they run their traffic through us and we dynamically plug their inventory into the right channels," Sravanapudi said. So a media buyer that prefers to stick with their chosen network can do so, and still tap into LucidMedia's ClickSense capabilities.

According to a Right Media spokesperson, the partnership marks the first time that Right Media Exchange users will have the ability to "contextually categorize their display advertising inventory," although the company has left the door open for other providers to step up to the plate. "The agreement is non-exclusive and as a platform we encourage participation from all parties that can help customers manage their businesses more efficiently," the spokesperson said. "We will empower multiple companies, such as Lucid Media, to provide this service."

The partnership, which Right Media has been testing for scalability since May, marks LucidMedia's first major foray into online advertising. But the company has nearly a decade of experience in the development of contextual targeting technology, as it previously operated under the name Entrieva and powered "complex solutions and enterprise software for companies like Glaxo, Eli Lilly and various Federal agencies," Sravanapudi said. "So ClickSense has got its teeth in terms of both scale and the quality of its contextualization."