A new use for online ads: Calculations

If you've ever wondered just what a rich media ad can do for your company than a simple display ad cannot, look no more. Online ad company Dapper has created an interesting ad for Prudential Real Estate that allows consumers to figure out how much home they can afford based on their monthly rent.

by Kristina Knight

In a soft housing market, an ad of this type could spell the difference for local real estate agents.

The calculator is available on Prudential's website and works by allowing consumers to input their rent and then searching local listings to find a mortgage equivalent. The tool uses zip code to find the home listings, giving consumers a good look into where they are spending their money.

"With our new calculator, consumers can visualize housing opportunities and be just a click away from a local affiliate's website to get action," said Earl Lee, president, Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, Inc., a Prudential Financial, Inc. business.

Along with the calculator, Prudential launched an online campaign to pump the tool and drive traffic to Prudential's website. The ads are targeted to renters and first time homebuyers on sites such as ApartmentGuide.com, Hotpads.com and ApartmentFinder.com as well as lifestyle sites, busing both context and location information to serve the ads.

Dapper's platform uses a company's existing website to create contextual display ads; the ads are put together with existing website content, product information or a database with which the business works.

Tags: Dapper, display ads, online advertising, Prudential Real Estate, rich media