CReATION: AdForce to launch interactive marketing

<p>AdForce, a subsidiary of CMGion, is preparing to launch its AdForce </p><p>EveryWhere interactive marketing services in Asia-Pacific. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The company is promoting the service as a total solution, offering Web </p><p>publishers, advertisers and ad networks with marketing options for </p><p>delivering advertising and promotional content, in the hope to attract </p><p>alliances in the region. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Part of the company's initiative to win partnerships included a visit by </p><p>Mr Dee Cravens, executive vice-president of corporate development, to </p><p>Asia-Pacific. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Cravens said he expected the usage of wireless devices and </p><p>interactive TV to soar in the next few years, as well as the demand for </p><p>cross-platform advertising in the region. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"In the next two to five years, the cell phone will become the dominant </p><p>player. We're already seeing it widely used here and certainly </p><p>advertisers will find it much more effective to market across different </p><p>channels," Mr Cravens said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He added the company forecast a 68 per cent reach across Internet users </p><p>and served 600 million ads per day in the US. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"This is true one-to-one marketing. It is direct response marketing </p><p>because consumers can respond to promotional offers immediately. And, it </p><p>is location-based. This means you can request to be notified when you </p><p>are near a fast food outlet ... or as you buy swimwear, your PDA or </p><p>mobile phone will let you know about the great deals at a Shangri La </p><p>hotel near a beach. It's all very exciting." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>However, Mr Cravens added that amid all the excitement, the </p><p>technological advancements also raised the question of privacy. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"The difference is that this is going to be not only permission-based, </p><p>but we are going to let the user decide what kind of information they </p><p>want to receive. So when an ad or information is placed, we will match </p><p>the profiles of all our users to see who should receive the </p><p>information," he said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>But there's still one problem: the issue of pricing remains up in the </p><p>air. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>According to Ms Amy Lin, recently appointed senior director for </p><p>Asia-Pacific, the question of how to charge clients for the service </p><p>remains unanswered. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Yes, as yet we have no idea how to charge this. But we are talking with </p><p>other companies to see if we can come up with a solution as we agree it </p><p>is a big question to be answered," Ms Lin said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The company's marketing manager for Asia-Pacific, Ms Julie Yung, added </p><p>there were complications in charging clients for cross-platform </p><p>advertising. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>AdForce Asia had also announced a partnership with AdSociety to provide </p><p>ad management technology. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The partnership allowed the companies to develop online advertising </p><p>incorporating rich media elements. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>