AOL has announced the acquisition of Tacoda, the behavioral ad network.
Tacoda has been an early leader in serving up relevant ads based upon a user's habits. For example, someone who has recently been researching automobiles might see a car ad pop up on their screen, regardless of what site they are visiting.
The Tacoda acquisition is the latest in a string of ad network deals. Google kicked it off by acquiring DoubleClick, while Yahoo responded by snagging Right Media, while Microsoft nabbed aQuantive. Just a few weeks ago, Yahoo announced the release of SmartAds, which target users based upon a combination of behavioral, demographic and geographic attributes. These efforts might have convinced Tacoda that going it along might no longer be an option.
According to John Battelle's Searchblog, the deal is rumored to be for $275 million.
UPDATE: Brad Burnham, of Union Square Ventures (an early investor in Tacoda) has posted his thoughts on the Tacoda deal.
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