• by Larry Dobrow , June 24, 2003

DoubleClick has cemented a multi-year deal to become eBay's primary online ad management coordinator, the company announced yesterday.

As part of the arrangement, DoubleClick will be tasked with increasing the efficiency of eBay's online advertising programs and coordinating eBay's new "Keywords on eBay" service. eBay will employ DoubleClick's "DART for Publishers" tool, which helps web publishers manage, serve and report on online ads.

"We've worked with them outside the U.S. for some time," says Doug Knopper, DoubleClick's vice president and general manager, online advertising solutions. "They're going to be able to better manage and track and deliver all advertising on their site from a single interface. Everybody in the eBay community is going to benefit from this new arrangement."

While DoubleClick has long been one of the Internet's most trusted suppliers of online advertising, e-mail marketing and database marketing tools, reeling in eBay's U.S. business is clearly a feather in the company's cap. "eBay was dissatisfied with its ad-serving system," Knopper says. "We think we have what it takes to fill the void."

DoubleClick continues to work extensively with the media buying and planning communities. Knopper touts the company's MediaVisor tool, which is designed to help agencies and advertisers plan and execute interactive marketing programs. "It handles trafficking, insertion orders, history, pricing and a lot more," he says, estimating that $200 million in media spending is currently flowing through the system.

As for online advertising as a whole, count Knopper among those who are bullish on the medium's short- and long-term future. "We've turned the corner, I think," he says. "We're hearing lots of talk about how the Internet is performing better as a medium [for advertising] and how clients are using it in better and more sophisticated ways. Existing advertisers are using it more and ones who haven't done it are finally dipping their toes in the water."