• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, January 14, 2010

Intent-focused, auction-based data exchange BlueKai has partnered with ad technology company CPM Advisors to offer clients better audience-targeting data.

Rather than selling inventory directly, Bellevue, WA-based BlueKai helps marketers create custom audience segments and reach prospects by matching audience segments to available inventory from portals and ad networks.

Since last September, CPM Advisors has been a participant in the BlueKai Certification Program, which helps marketers more easily define a standard in-market audience profile using BlueKai data while reaching audiences via their media partners.

This new partnership is designed to help clients reach target audiences by offering them access to BlueKai's in-market data on over 160 million unique shoppers online, all directly within CPM's CPMatic media buying platform.

"Providing CPM's clients enhanced targeting capabilities by means of BlueKai intent data is a win-win," said Omar Tawakol, CEO of BlueKai.

The privately held BlueKai recently set up a program to certify its purchase-intent data for sale through portals, ad networks, and other sellers with the goal of easing what is often perceived to be a burdensome process for agencies. The certification program allows media buyers to create custom segments on BlueKai's exchange, and then export those segments to participating ad sellers. The segment is then submitted to publishers or ad networks, which present advertisers with a complete proposal for all media and data costs.

Just last month, it launched a new analytics service for agencies and their clients to glean greater insights into in-market shopping profiles of site audiences. BlueKai In-Market Reports can be used to verify the data profile of a target audience while discovering actionable data segments in the BlueKai Exchange to reach similar prospects at scale.