Flycast Launches Rich Media Program

San Francisco-based ad network Flycast Communications Corp. said it
launched a broad range of rich media initiatives that simplify the development
and execution of such Internet advertising campaigns.

The initiatives enable online marketers to create rich media-enabled ads in
minutes and immediately deploy those ads over the Flycast Network of more than
500 Web sites, the company said.

Flycast said its rich media strategy satisfies a key need identified at the
recent Proctor & Gamble “FAST Summit,” where advertisers expressed a strong
desire to more easily deliver rich-media ad campaigns.

A main component of Flycast’s rich media strategy is ResponsePoint, a suite of
services designed to allow for the commerce-enabling, or transactionalizing, of Web
ads using the interactive features of rich media.

Flycast also announced new partnerships with First Virtual Holdings Inc. and
Thinking Media Corp. to increase lead generation and facilitate sales directly
through Web ads.

“This initiative makes it easy for online marketers to get rich media-enabled
campaigns up and running with minimal lead time and up-front expense,” said
Larry Braitman, vice president of business development for Flycast. “By
combining our focus on delivering the highest return-on-investment in the
industry with the latest interactive technologies, Flycast is driving the next
stage of growth in Web advertising.”

Flycast’s rich media program offers interactive ads with features such as
pull-down menus, credit card transactions, subscription forms, text images,
animations, calculators and multimedia capabilities. The program also takes
advantage of a new partnership with AudioBase Inc., a provider of Web-based,
no plug-in needed, audio delivery, and supports all leading rich media
formats, including: First Virtual’s VirtualADz, Thinking Media’s ActiveAds,
Narrative’s Enliven, Java, JavaScript, HTML, RealAudio and RealVideo,
Shockwave and VRML.

“Our ActiveAds contact templates let surfers send for information, sign up for a subscription or
product information, etc., all without leaving the banner,” said Owen Davis, managing director of Thinking Media.

Flycast said its ROI-focused network reaches more than 10 million people a
month.
Advertisers include e-commerce companies, direct response marketers and
interactive agencies.