Avenue A Acquires Media Company iballs

Interactive agency and data marketing company Avenue A Inc. has acquired iballs, an Internet media planning and buying company in a cash and stock deal.

Financial specifics were not disclosed.

The acquisition “significantly enhances” Avenue A’s client base and buying power, the agency said, and allows Avenue A to leverage its proprietary technology across a broader client base and extends its reach as a provider of online marketing services.

Under the terms of the deal, iballs will operate independently as a subsidiary of Avenue A. Both Avenue A and iballs will offer media strategy, planning and buying services, third party ad serving, and data collection and analysis for online marketers.

iballs will adopt Avenue A’s proprietary data collection technology and ROI analysis methodology to help its clients.

“We’ve spent months looking for the right technology solution for collecting and analyzing data from online marketing campaigns,” said Stephen Klein, chairman and co-founder of iballs.

“We finally found it at Avenue A, and are now able to offer our clients the same combination of technology and services that has worked so well for Avenue A clients. We look forward to accelerated growth under the Avenue A umbrella.”