Online marketing technology and ad network DoubleClick said Monday that it would license the technology of Alexandria, Va.’s Backwire, a publisher of customized e-mail newsletters.
Through the deal, of which financial terms were not disclosed, the two companies agreed to begin integration trials of Backwire’s customization technology with DoubleClick’s e-mail ad-serving program DARTmail Publisher. (The venture arm of Internet Advertising Report’s parent, internet.com, is an investor in Backwire.)
The deal gives New York-based DoubleClick the option to make Backwire’s technology available to its publishing clients, for use in sending out their own ad-supported newsletters.
Backwire’s one-to-one customization technology enables publishers and marketers to aggregate and customize content and advertising into newsletters. Through Monday’s deal, DoubleClick clients using its enterprise software DARTmail Publisher will now be able to serve their own individually personalized newsletters.
Essentially, the chief benefits to publishers are new revenue streams and increased targeting to offer advertisers. Backwire says its technology can put together exceptionally personalized content gathered from several different sources on the Web; within that targeted content, the publishers also will be able to serve targeted ads.
“E-mail marketing has quickly become an important part of the marketing mix for advertisers looking to efficiently reach their customers on a one-to one basis,” said DARTmail technology vice president Court Cunningham. “Backwire’s one-to-one content-targeting technology will give DARTmail customers access to a unique new method of targeting to improve the performance of their newsletters in generating ad revenue and driving visitors to their site.”
In addition, Backwire will become a client of DARTmail Publisher, which will deliver its e-mail newsletters. Since March, Backwire had been using Exactis — which became 24/7 Exactis after that company’s acquisition by ad network 24/7 Media.
