At the OMMA Behavioral conference last week, consumer data firm TARGUSinfo launched AdAdvisor, a predictive ad service that matches site visitors to ads most relevant to them.
AdAdvisor weds the online and offline data TARGUSinfo has gathered in 15 years — including material from customer loyalty programs and call centers, and point-of-purchase material. The past several years witnessed the company transition to lead verification for online services.
"We have about 300 clients in lead verification. The next logical step was in display, optimizing the experience," said VP-Business Development/Interactive Markets David Helmreich.
As the result of such relationships, TARGUSinfo says it can identify and cluster users in anonymous segments, based on certain attributes.
The ad model is in ways reminiscent of models proffered by behavioral targeting firms Phorm and NebuAd, which segmented anonymous users based on certain shared interests, then served relevant ads to them on the pages of participating websites. But because Phorm and NebuAd worked with ISPs to gather users' behavioral data, privacy advocates fought hard to strip them of legitimacy.
By November 2008, and following a number of Senate hearings on behavioral advertising and ISP participation, NebuAd and participating ISPs faced a class action lawsuit. NebuAd also lost its CEO, Bob Dykes, and opted to pursue a less controversial ad model.
A month after news of NebuAd's class action lawsuit was announced, Phorm lost its UK CEO and CFO.
AdAdvisor may differ from these well-meaning — but ill-fated — behavioral firms in that its extensive consumer data comes from e-commerce firms, not ISPs. Unfortunately for Phorm and NebuAd, users increasingly perceive ISP services as utilities, and less so profit-making companies.
The offering is currently targeted to advertisers running ads on ad networks and publisher sites. Clients that tested the service were not revealed, but existing TARGUSinfo users include Jenny Craig, Starz, Ticketmaster, Budget, AT&T, Domino's Pizza, GE, HBO, and Showtime.
