Mi9 creates new, safer, contextual content ad targeting
Mi9 has launched a new form of contextual targeting which places adverts next to editorial content, with safeguards to reduce the risk of awkward ad placements.
The announcement:
Mi9 today unveiled the next evolution of context targeted advertising, Virtual Channels, which for the first time gives advertisers the power to place ads alongside specific editorial content across the ninemsn network.
Mi9’s Virtual Channels goes beyond standard keyword targeting technology, and looks at the whole context and sentiment of every article to match highly relevant ads to page content.
This is achieved by scanning every article, gallery and blog post across Mi9’s 300,000+ pages to create bespoke relevant URL clusters or ‘channels’ for ads to appear in.
“The next generation of context advertising is here. Advertisers can now choose to target people in real-time as they read content articles on subjects relevant to their brand”, says Matt James Managing Director of Mi9 Media. “The more relevant the editorial content, the more open users are to the advertising, and so reaching people when they’re focused and in the right mindset is crucial in affecting engagement, recall and ROI for our advertisers.”
“This is the ultimate demonstration of our imaginative content combining forces with our intelligent technology offering and providing huge value for advertisers,” said James.
Historically the industry has booked context at a channel, site or site section level, and articles have been bundled into those products. Virtual Channels operates outside of standard editorial channels and discover new audiences by profiling page content, no matter where it appears on the network, and delivering users who contextually match the advertiser’s brief.
The first major advertiser to take advantage of the new technology and secure its own ‘Virtual Channel’ on the Mi9 network is Reckitt Benckiser, who have bought out the virtual ‘housework and cleaning channel’ on ninemsn for their cleaning product Vanish.
Reckitt Benckiser have worked with Mi9 to create a bespoke channel that will see them target ads against all household cleaning, stains and clothing content, and recipes with ingredients which can result in hard-to remove stains.
By targeting consumers based on the context of an article, the Vanish advertising message will reach browsers reading relevant content, no matter what page on the network they are viewing – rather than in specific ‘lifestyle’ site sections or environments.
Virtual Channels also provides clients with a mechanism to avoid placements where ads may be served against a conflicting news story. For example, car manufacturers could place ads alongside stories that mention cars – but needn’t worry about ad placements next to a news report on traffic congestion or a road safety issue.
Source: press release
