CReATION: AdForce to launch interactive marketing

AdForce, a subsidiary of CMGion, is preparing to launch its AdForce

EveryWhere interactive marketing services in Asia-Pacific.

The company is promoting the service as a total solution, offering Web

publishers, advertisers and ad networks with marketing options for

delivering advertising and promotional content, in the hope to attract

alliances in the region.

Part of the company's initiative to win partnerships included a visit by

Mr Dee Cravens, executive vice-president of corporate development, to

Asia-Pacific.

Mr Cravens said he expected the usage of wireless devices and

interactive TV to soar in the next few years, as well as the demand for

cross-platform advertising in the region.

"In the next two to five years, the cell phone will become the dominant

player. We're already seeing it widely used here and certainly

advertisers will find it much more effective to market across different

channels," Mr Cravens said.

He added the company forecast a 68 per cent reach across Internet users

and served 600 million ads per day in the US.

"This is true one-to-one marketing. It is direct response marketing

because consumers can respond to promotional offers immediately. And, it

is location-based. This means you can request to be notified when you

are near a fast food outlet ... or as you buy swimwear, your PDA or

mobile phone will let you know about the great deals at a Shangri La

hotel near a beach. It's all very exciting."

However, Mr Cravens added that amid all the excitement, the

technological advancements also raised the question of privacy.

"The difference is that this is going to be not only permission-based,

but we are going to let the user decide what kind of information they

want to receive. So when an ad or information is placed, we will match

the profiles of all our users to see who should receive the

information," he said.

But there's still one problem: the issue of pricing remains up in the

air.

According to Ms Amy Lin, recently appointed senior director for

Asia-Pacific, the question of how to charge clients for the service

remains unanswered.

"Yes, as yet we have no idea how to charge this. But we are talking with

other companies to see if we can come up with a solution as we agree it

is a big question to be answered," Ms Lin said.

The company's marketing manager for Asia-Pacific, Ms Julie Yung, added

there were complications in charging clients for cross-platform

advertising.

AdForce Asia had also announced a partnership with AdSociety to provide

ad management technology.

The partnership allowed the companies to develop online advertising

incorporating rich media elements.