Chitika Local Ad Exchange Pulls Together Local's Powerhouses

WESTBOROUGH, Mass., July 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The untapped potential of local online advertising just got tapped.  Online ad network Chitika today revealed their newest property, LAX Local Advertising Exchange, which takes the fast-growing power of local advertising and applies it to the proven power of the ad exchange.  One of Chitika's cornerstone partners, online local pioneer Yellowbook, is among the first to take advantage of the opportunities presented by LAX.

"We're always looking for unique opportunities to extend the reach of our more than half a million clients beyond the traditional distribution platforms," said Mike Wilson, GM & vice president of digital media at Yellowbook.  "Yellowbook is growing to over 100 million local searches per month driven by consumers who are ready to buy specific products and services.  The first time we saw what Chitika was doing with LAX, we recognized the incredible impact this synergistic platform could deliver.  We believe it meshes well with our overall performance advertising strategy.

"LAX stands to dramatically change the way local online advertising works, and in a very positive way – from which our advertisers and users will benefit.  Combining the user-intent of search, the efficacy of pay-per-call, and the immediacy and ubiquity of mobile is a huge boon for local advertising – especially for the local business owner who can again trust Yellowbook to find the best methods for promoting their business while they focus on their passion of actually running their business and achieving success."

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100709/CL32060 )

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100709/CL32060 )

By applying the ad exchange model to local advertising, Chitika aims to create a powerful, cohesive network of both advertisers and publishers in an industry that is at the early stages of finding such cohesion.

To best serve the local market, Chitika also unveiled a local-oriented mobile ad unit, which will allow publishers with local traffic to monetize it properly and immediately.  The unit, which is designed not to interfere with a publisher's general traffic, will detect mobile devices and adjust itself accordingly.  Even if a site is not designed for mobile, the site's Chitika ads will detect an iPhone, for example, and serve a special advertisement that is tailored both to the mobile experience and to the local user.

Included in Chitika's new mobile ads is a new take on Pay-Per-Call ads, which allow visitors who receive a local ad on their phone to call the advertiser with one touch.  Publishers with heavy local traffic have looked for ways to properly monetize, and with instant gratification Pay-Per-Call ads and the ability to truly target local traffic, the Local Ad Exchange delivers.

Topix, Inc.'s VP of Business Development David Galvan is looking forward to the opportunities Chitika's LAX offers.  "As a local publisher, there's always been a big question mark on how to improve advertising to my local traffic," Galvan says.  "I've seen what the ad exchange model has done for regular Internet traffic, and Chitika bringing it to the local space is huge for us."

Along with Topix, local publishing pioneers Americantowns.com and GetFave.com have been beta testing Chitika's LAX service, with the expectation that it will add another level of revenue to their booming industry.

"We've seen great success in bringing the power of search to publishers' on-site advertisements," says Chitika CEO Venkat Kolluri.  "It's amazing to think about what we can do when we take that success and mix in the fast-growing local market, and being able to put it in people's hands on their mobile devices will maximize the impact of this ad exchange."

Whether you're an advertiser or publisher, take advantage of this growing industry by signing up at http://lax.chitika.com, and get on board the industry's first local ad exchange.

About Chitika

Chitika, Inc., is a search-based online advertising network, leading the way in intent-based and local advertising.  Chitika provides publishers with an innovative way to monetize both general and local traffic, and advertisers a new way of generating leads with clear consumer intent.  With over 80,000 affiliated sites and 2 billion monthly impressions, the Chitika network is the pulse of the online world.   Chitika continually evolves its image as "the ad network that knows when not to show ads."  For more information, visit http://chitika.com

This release was issued through The Xpress Press News Service, merging e-mail and satellite distribution technologies to reach business analysts and media outlets worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.XpressPress.com.

SOURCE Chitika, Inc.