NEW ORLEANS — FreeShop.com today will announce its new corporate identity, details of its “new targeted offer network strategy” and a number of new agreements.
FreeShop, Seattle, now will be known as Aptimus, and with its new network approach will be looking to create a medium for marketing online as opposed to a single Web site or program. The announcement will be made at the DMA’s fall show here.
“With the Aptimus Network we want to provide a one-stop solution for online marketing, ” said Tim Choate, president/CEO of Aptimus. “This change will allow us to take the success of FreeShop.com to the next level.” Three new partners joining the network are NBC Internet, About Inc. and iVillage Inc.
The Aptimus Network model will provide users with more than 75,000 specialized Web sites and e-mail channels as well as a number of the top 100 Web properties to place ads on. It will help marketers present consumers with relevant offers geared to their specific interests at a time when consumers are most likely to respond.
According to Aptimus, the offers will be presented to consumers based on actions and behavior, so that the offer-content matching is driven by consumer interest and inquiries and not by profiling.
“The offers could appear in any type of format,” Choate said. “This is not about e-mailing offers out; instead it’s about placing offers in the proper context with an emphasis on Web sites.”
This does not mean Aptimus will not run ads for its customers in some form of an e-mail campaign. Choate said that if a client uses some type of e-mail program to communicate with its customers, it would look to incorporate offers into that program.
The new network also will be run on a results-based pricing model.
“Because of the pricing arrangement, it makes the venture low-risk but gives them the opportunity to reach a large number of consumers,” Choate said.
Aptimus has signed agreements with 25 major partner sites to participate in the marketing to consumers through the new network.
