Do-it-yourself ad buy company digitalroot hopes to increase its sales
through a partnership with e-commerce technology company eCongo, the
companies said Tuesday.
Silicon Alley-based digitalroot allows advertisers to automate the online
advertising process, from banner ad creation to media buys. The
do-it-yourself ad sales and optimization service appeals to smaller
advertisers, who can’t afford sizable sales staffs or creative budgets.
Digitalroot also lets smaller advertisers aggregate their media buys to
purchase inventory on big-name Web publishers, similarly to the way B2C
e-commerce site Mercata or B2B play MobShop get lower prices in return for
automatically combining customers’ orders to buy in bulk. Digitalroot has
several publishers signed to accept advertising, including
CBSMarketWatch.com, The Motley Fool and FOXSports.com, who gain by being
able to move unsold inventory.
Under the terms of Tuesday’s partnership, businesses that utilize Los
Gatos, Calif.-based eCongo’s e-business software to set up an online store
will also have access to digitalroot’s automated ad creation and purchasing
services.
Digitalroot’s package will be included with eCongo’s Powered Commerce
product, a private-label software suite aimed at telcos, banks, and other
large companies, which in turn will use the software to enable their small
business customers to create e-businesses. The digitalroot automated ad buy
service will come as a part of that software suite.
“Digitalroot’s outstanding service adds incredible value for our
e-business customers,” said eCongo founder and chief executive Rick
Asturias. It “put high-powered advertising capabilities within reach of
even the newest arrivals to the world of e-business, who might not be up to
the minimum buy requirements of brand-name Internet publishers. We’re very
pleased to be able to add one more invaluable tool to the eCongo e-business
package.”
The deal comes soon after digitalroot earlier this month inked a deal
with Web content site 4anything.com, that makes ad-buying opportunities
available directly through its site. The company has said it sees
publishers and third party partners — like eCongo — as its chief sales
channels.
“eCongo’s Powered Commerce is an ideal environment for our automated ad
buying platform,” said digitalroot business development director Rob Kunis.
“Not only will our service assist eCongo’s business customers in better
allocating their advertising dollars, but they’ll also have much more
control over where
their ads are placed.”
