Acxiom acquisition to improve targeting capabilities

Online marketers interested in better targeting options will likely be interested in a new development. Acxiom, an interactive marketing company, has purchased EchoTarget, an online targeting organization. With the merge, Acxiom's advertiser base will have more options in targeting ad campaigns.

by Kristina Knight

Terms of the partnership have not been disclosed.

Sources say that the deal will offer Acxiom's advertiser base to behaviorally target high-value marketing demographics with relevant banner ads using both segment based and behavioral based targeting. EchoTarget focuses on targeted banner ads. Besides simple targeting, advertisers will now have the ability to put proven direct marketing techniques to use in their online campaigns.

"Acxiom brings to the online world targeting technologies the company pioneered in direct mail with the world’s most successful companies,” said Rich Howe, chief marketing and strategy leader for Axciom. “Relevance-X does something no other product can do – combine both a segment based and behavioral based approach to banner targeting.”

This isn't the first move Acxiom has made in recent years. In 2005, the company purchased Digital Impact and SmartDM and earlier this year purchased Kefta. The moves have solidified Acxiom's place in the online marketing world. In Q1 2007 Acxiom reported revenues of more than $335 million, up 0.4% from Q1 2006.