Bluestreak Adds Analytics, 24/7 Gives Kanoodle Analytics A Boost And Enables Behavioral Targeting

Bluestreak, the Newport, R.I.-based provider of online direct marketing services, today introduces a marketing and Web analytics tool that will be a part of its Ion (Integrated Online) Marketing Suite. Called IonView, the new product offers marketers campaign performance and comparison information, along with the ability to integrate data feeds from marketers' online and offline initiatives. IonView is compatible with Bluestreak's other Ion platforms, as well as other companies' search and affiliate marketing programs.

Third-party marketing services, such as Bluestreak's, have become essential to the online advertising industry. Whether it's ad-serving, campaign management, Web analytics, rich media services, sponsored listings services, or behavioral targeting and contextual marketing, agencies, marketers, and publishers would be at a loss without third-party support.

Third-party providers in recent months have been in acquisition mode (aQuantive acquired Go Toast), as they seek to add and integrate services to offer clients a one-stop shop. Major players including DoubleClick, aQuantive's Atlas DMT, ValueClick, 24/7 Real Media, and Bluestreak have been on a tear, adding to their respective arsenals to fill advertisers' and publishers' online needs.

"Savvy clients know that the advantage of online is the ability to measure activity with an accuracy not available offline," says Laurent Oppenheim, Carat Interactive director, marketing innovation and analytics, in a press statement about Bluestreak's IonView. Carat is a Bluestreak client. Oppenheim says that through IonView, the agency "can compile the precise performance metrics that connects our work to our clients' sales activities."

Annette Tonti, chief marketing officer, Bluestreak, notes that the company targets mid-tier companies instead of Fortune 500 clients. "When you're selling a commodity like ad-serving, the big guys have deep pockets to undercut prices," she says, adding: "The problem we solve is for overworked marketing executives who are trying to do too much with very few people on staff."

According to Tonti, the analytics market is still only a half billion-dollar market. Nevertheless, analytics seems to be an area that many ad servers are keen on beefing up, as Web advertisers call for greater control of and accountability for their online ad spend.

Sponsored listings providers are also getting into the Web analytics act. Kanoodle is poised to announce a licensing agreement with 24/7 Real Media today that will give the sponsored search listings company exclusive access to 24/7's Insight XE Web analytics technology. The move essentially means that 24/7's Web analytics data will power the Kanoodle network, according to David Hills, 24/7 Real Media's president.

24/7 will create audience segments from Kanoodle's publisher network so that the sponsored listings provider can provide its advertising clients with the data they'll need to target individual consumers by their Web surfing history.

Kanoodle President Lance Podell says that through the agreement, the company can now offer advertisers more options and control. Kanoodle advertisers will be able to purchase listings through keyword buys, category topics, and now, audience segments. "This is the first foray of a sponsored listings provider into behavioral targeting," Podell claims.

24/7's Hills notes that while Tacoda Systems and other behavioral targeting firms are producing audience segments through their respective networks, Kanoodle and 24/7, by combining forces, already have a substantial network between them--comprised of some 65 million people. "The other guys have to start from scratch," Hills maintains.

In related news, BURST! Media today announced a partnership with Tacoda, which will provide the ad-serving network with the tools it needs to identify and track large segments of its audience of 39.4 million. Through the partnership, BURST! Will use the Application Service Provider version of Tacoda's Audience Management System for behavioral targeting.

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