aQuantive Revs Up DRIVEpm

Advertising technology and services firm aQuantive has officially launched its new business unit, DRIVEpm, which will liaise between publishers and advertisers. (The “pm” stands for “performance media”.)

The new business unit, as previously reported in ClickZ News, will buy blocks of online ad inventory from top-250 publishers and re-sell it to advertisers at a higher price, adding value with its targeting technology.

The company will use everything from past online purchase data, demographic information, geographic location, connection speed, and context to target the ads. What it won’t use is personally identifiable information.

The targeting capabilities are similar to what Tacoda Systems hopes to offer with the AudienceMatch network it’s currently assembling. However, DRIVEpm will sell on a cost-per-action, cost-per-click, or cost-per-thousand impressions basis, while Tacoda will start with only cost-per-click text ads.

So far, DRIVEpm is working with agencies like Exile on 7th, Modem Media, Eisner Interactive and Marketing Evolution. Advertisers include Best Buy and WeightWatchers.com.

“We believe that DRIVEpm is not only a win for aQuantive but a win for the online industry in general by helping to eliminate the common enemy in online advertising — advertising waste,” said Scott Howe, general manager of DRIVEpm, in a statement.