As part of an effort to boost its business-to-business offerings,
interactive ad company 24/7 Media is
building a network that will let advertisers target their marketing
messages to small businesses.
The small business channel will consist of a network of Web
sites including bplans.com,
Flashbase , FreeAgent.com, and
Moneyhunt — as well as direct
e-mail marketing services that reach this audience.
In explaining the reasoning behind the move, 24/7 cites a study by IDC
Research, which indicates that there are 41.3 million small businesses in
the US.
That figure is projected to grow to 51.6 million by 2002. The
growth of the market is quite obvious in this Internet age, when so many
are starting new businesses to take advantage of the opportunities created
by the Net.
“The growth, demographics and chances of reaching a decision maker make the
small business market very attractive to advertisers. This channel will
give 24/7 Media exposure to this market and will serve to
broaden our relationship with Web publishers and advertisers alike,” says
Jay Friesel, executive vice president of sales and marketing at 24/7 Media.
“This is our most recent addition to 24/7 Media’s
business-to-business Network, and we expect to announce additional
business-to-business vertical channels in the coming months.”
The company established a vertical network aimed at health professionals in
September.
So far, 24/7 has rounded up a few advertisers for its new small business
channel, including Allbusiness.com, CNET and CommerceKey.com.