• by Tanya Gazdik , January 16, 2008

Advanced Student Marketing, the online network targeting college students, has launched a multichannel, vertical ad network.

The network will connect content sites and online publishers popular with college-age students with advertisers interested in reaching the notoriously cynical audience. According to Harris Interactive, college students represent $200 billion in annual discretionary income, and are still in the process of building their brand loyalty.

ASM Network's publishing partners include StudentsHangOut, Cramster, CampusTech, CollegeCram, CampusGrotto and an exclusive agreement with Pick-a-Prof.com.

The ASM Network is a core component within ASM's multichannel model putting advertisers in front of college students. Called Media Mesh, it integrates Web, mobile, digital projection, direct mail and print marketing campaigns.

For example, advertisers can contact students through text messages on a mobile device, which encourages them to visit a Web site, where they can then print out a coupon that can be used at a retail outlet.

"This is a key demographic for most marketers because of their disposable income," said Chris Chilek, COO at ASM, in a statement. "However, this is also a decidedly difficult audience to effectively target because their interests and media outlets vary widely and change frequently. Our integrated model, including the vertical ad network, provides advertisers a way to get in front of students through outlets they trust and in a format that encourages participation."

Adify Corp. is delivering the technology and services for ASM to create, manage and commercialize their vertical advertising solution to both advertisers and content creators. Adify also will supply back-end infrastructure and services to deliver content sponsorships, video, image and rich media advertising. In addition, Adify provides the key network management services required to execute successful advertising campaigns, including ad management, tracking, reporting, billing, payment and technical support functions.

"Advanced Student Marketing and vertically focused communities like it, present a great opportunity for both advertisers and publishers to connect with the notoriously indecisive college student audience," says Russ Fradin, CEO at Adify. "Vertical ad networks are the most effective and welcome way for advertisers to locate and engage these audiences."

The network joins Alloy Media + Marketing's Teen.com ad network, which launched in December. Alloy joined forces with Zwinky, the virtual world and avatar emporium. The Zwinky deal is one of a series of planned partnerships that will extend its new Teen.com network to sites with heavy teen traffic, including social network and entertainment zones. At launch, the network's other partners include Habbo, Meez, and RockYou, as well as a number of proprietary Alloy sites.