Delphi Forums Launches New Sponsorship Model

Web community-creation service Delphi Forums launched Session-Impression, a new Web advertising service model that lets consumers select their own sponsors.

Powered by DoubleClick’s DART ad serving technology, Session-Impression, an alternative to traditional banner ads, is a session sponsorship option available to partners and advertisers using the Delphi Forums community platform.

By enabling consumers to select the advertiser who will sponsor their forum session, Session-Impression gives consumers control over their Web advertising experience and lets advertisers deliver timely and relevant information to interested, attentive viewers, Delphi said.

Volvo is one of the charter advertisers.

“Session-Impression makes the most of the time and money that brand advertisers spend on the Web,” said Tery Spataro, chief operating officer at Blue Dingo, an Internet consulting firm retained by Volvo. “By using this technique, we can develop rich, entertaining new media ads and deliver them to individuals who, by selecting their session sponsor, have pre-qualified themselves as interested in our products.”

The length of time spent online in forums is extended due to the collaborative nature of the session, Delphi said, making participants a prime target for advertisers seeking a captive audience. Consumers see a one-time, full-page, rich media presentation given by the sponsor at the beginning of the session. A text link to the sponsor’s site remains at the top of the page throughout the session.

“We believe the Session-Impression model is going to help redefine the concept of Web advertising,” said Chris Saridakis, vice president and general manager of DoubleClick DART.

Session-Impression is currently being beta tested within several affiliate forums. After initial testing, it will be available as an option for all Delphi partners. Delphi Forums says it has 80,000 active forums and two million registered participants.