Flycast Rolls Out Newsletter Network

Advertising network Flycast Communications on Wednesday launched a newsletter network, which will allow advertisers to make run-of-network and run-of-category buys over more than 100 newsletters.

Although companies like PennMedia.com have put together newsletter networks, no one other than Flycast has combined a Web site network with a newsletter network. But DoubleClick won't be far behind. The company announced its own newsletter network plans back in November, and expects to launch that service in the second quarter of this year.

The real value that this combination brings is when advertisers can make the network a place for one-stop-shopping, but no one is yet offering Web and e-mail newsletter packages.

In building its network, Flycast has first gone to its network of Web site affiliates, which number 1,900. So far, it has signed up 100 network members, and the company says more than 25 new newsletters are being added each week.

Advertisers will be able to purchase both HTML and text ads, either across the whole network, or in four categories business, shopping, technology, and entertainment. Flycast plans to eventually expand to 25 categories, like its Web site network has. CPM rates are $8 for run of network and $16 for a category buy.

One of the company's efforts has been to sign up partners in the mailing technology space, so that publishers already using other applications can still insert advertisements from Flycast. So far, the company has partnered with Lyris Technologies, Boomerang.com and GuestTrack.