Engage Inks Licensing, Cross-Promotional Deals

Two divisions of CMGI ad company Engage announced new agreements Tuesday, giving two startups access to the company’s ad targeting and database profile products.

Content network Total Sports will license Engage Enabling Technologies‘ AdBureau technology, which helps Web sites manage the scheduling, targeting, delivery and reporting of online banner ads. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Total Sports will use the system to manage online ad programs across the more than 100 sites across its network, which includes TotalBaseball.com, Golf.com, TotalCollegeSports.com, TotalHockey.com and TotalSportFishing.com.

“Now, we are offering our advertisers a similar experience in that they can connect with their audiences on a more personalized, unique level,” said Colin Boatwright, chief technology officer for Total Sports.

“With its ability to get the most out of campaigns through measuring, targeting and delivering ads, we believe that Engage AdBureau will help us do this like no other tool available,” Boatwright said.

Total Sports also said it will also use the ad company’s Engage Knowledge database of anonymous user profiles and behavior to target ads to visitors in conjunction with AdBureau.

“With an outsourced, flexible solution such as AdBureau, Total Sports will be able to allow their advertisers to get to know these varied tastes and target their ads more effectively, increasing the value of ad space on Total Sports’ sites,” said Kimo Kong, general manager, Engage Enabling Technologies.

Engage also announced a second strategic alliance Tuesday, in which it will provide online marketing technology company Angara with data derived from its Engage Knowledge database.

Anagara, in turn, will use this information with its products, which help e-commerce sites identify and serve personalized content to unknown or first-time visitors.

“This agreement allows us to demonstrate the flexibility of Engage Knowledge to improve marketers’ analytical and e-commerce efforts through both targeted advertising and content, and is a testament to the proven effectiveness of the database,” said Engage president and chief executive officer Paul Schaut.

Terms of the deal also specified that Engage and Angara will cross-promote their products and services to clients, although financial details were not released.

“The combination of Angara’s innovative e-marketing services and recommendations on user-interest derived from Engage Knowledge provides e-businesses with a powerful solution for delivering Web site content that is relevant and promotes customer acquisition and retention,” Schaut said of the pair’s cross-promotional agreement.