MySpace profiles analyzed for ad targeting

Is it MySpace or TheirSpace? This may well be the question on many MySpace users’ keyboards as the social networking giant discloses plans for highly targeted ads in member profiles.

by Helen Leggatt

After half a year of testing by a 100-strong team, MySpace looks finally set to launch into a six month beta test of its new ad-targeting system. It incorporates algorithms that assigns members to one of 10 primary interest categories including travel, sports, fashion, autos and health.

The system will also take into account the user’s age, gender, friends, groups they belong to and what ads they’ve interacted with in the past.

"Our targeting is a balance of what users say, what they do and what they say they do," said Adam Bain, chief technology officer at Fox Interactive.

During the test period MySpace has seen some impressive results, particularly among certain categories such as automotive and music. Clicks on auto ads almost doubled and music ad clicks increased 70 percent.

MySpace’s coffers are expected to be boosted to around $70 million a month by the new program, from the current $40 million a month over the next twelve months.

Meanwhile, some expect a backlash from MySpace users as they realise their profile information is being deeply analyzed for advertising purposes.