Buzzlogic buys app firm to improve conversational ad targeting

Activeweave's flagship product, BlogRovR, is an application for Firefox that continuously updates links to narrative based on a user's preferences and the content he browses. The data flow through that scheme allows BlogRovR to identify opinion leaders and degree of battle with specific topics or posts. It's that info BuzzLogic wants entree to through the acquisition.

The goal is to pair data gleaned through BlogRovR with info BuzzLogic presently collects to determine connections betwixt popular blogs. It plans to purchase those connexion to mark display and text ads.

"Now we can congeries an apprehension of how consumers are swarming around the net," said BuzzLogic CEO Rob Crumpler, who explained why the firm chose to purchase Activeweave instead than merely partnering. "The level of integrating we'll be doing with their engineering really requires that we make the acquisition," he said. "It will help us move forwards faster."

Most ad networks link up Web sites based on the type of content covered, and most targeting technologies aim ads according to what users are screening or late viewed online. BuzzLogic's Conversation Targeting takes a different approach. The scheme follows conversations and determines which blogs and bloggers are most influential based on the figure of people linking to them, and ranks them consequently.

For case, when retail merchant Nordstrom wanted to promote a new line of wearing apparel designed by Pete Wentz of pop punk band Fall Out Boy, the platform tracked down blogs featuring posts about the bassist or his girlfriend, pop vocalist Ashlee Mrs. Simpson, and ran show ads on those sites.

The company introduced the scheme in beta about five calendar month ago.

BuzzLogic worked directly with Nordstrom on the campaign, according to Crumpler, who said the firm is building its direct ad sales team.

"We're essentially predicting the paths of where consumers will travel based on connections they're having from post to post to post," he continued.

Thus far, the company has gone through ad networks, mainly Google and AdBrite, to locate and purchase ad inventory on sites identified as influential. Now, rather than deriving media only via other networks, BuzzLogic wants to create its own network.

"We're in the early, early stage of recruiting some of those influencers for our network," explained Crumpler.

Activeweave's two primary execs will stay on with the new owner. Jean Sini will remain in his current CTO role at BuzzLogic, and Activeweave CEO Marc Meyer will become VP of products for the new parent.