Not long after DoubleClick Inc. announced its intention to buy the technology assets of online marketer L90 this week, a feeding frenzy of sorts erupted as Engage Inc. and Real Media said they would aggressively solicit L90 clients not interested in hooking up with DoubleClick.
Engage introduced a new, limited-time promotion yesterday aimed at luring customers of L90's adMonitor service and Real Media's OpenAdStream. The company is providing “substantial discounts” on licensing fees and migration support services to customers who transfer to Engage's AdManager and AdBureau services.
“We wanted the market to remember there is available another option out there,” said Betsy Zikakis, vice president of marketing at Engage. “This promotion is an incentive for clients to make the transition to us.”
The company would not disclose the amount of the discount or how long the promotion would run.
Real Media said it would welcome — even actively solicit — L90's clients to sign up and use its OpenAdStream service.
Mark Naples, vice president of marketing for Real Media, said the company is unconcerned with Engage's attempt to lure potential customers.
“Let [Engage] come after our clients,” he said. “Many of our larger clients came to us from other companies. These people came to us for a reason.”
Real Media said its OpenAdStream service lets marketers control individual ad deliveries, generate detailed reports and maximize ad placement by profiling the Web site's visitors, then targeting and delivering advertising campaigns based on their profiles.
Zikakis claimed that while the company is always up against Real Media for new business — particularly among newspaper publishers — Engage's technology has the edge.
“They have a fair number of newspaper clients,” she said. “But we can offer ad tracking and delivery both online and offline. Real Media can't do that.”
She said Engage also will actively solicit L90 customers to make the switch.
