Name of local targeting product:
Real Cities is made up of more than 130 local newspaper sites, providing national advertisers with a means to target and reach local markets and the quality online demographics provided by local newspaper.com sites. Real Cities eliminates the advertiser's need to contact individual newspaper sites directly. Real Cities provides advertisers with a single point of contact to buy, implement and manage an advertiser campaign locally, regionally or nationally.
What types of local properties do you work with, and in what size markets?
Real Cities works with local newspaper sites. They represent sites in top markets like New York, Chicago, Miami, the Bay Area and Dallas, just to name a few. The complete list is here.
What level of targeting can you do beyond geo?
Real Cities can get as specific as ZIP code.
What types of special advertising "products" or unique campaigns can you get for advertisers?
Real Cities provides targeted mail products, including newsletter and advertiser exclusive email solutions, podcasts, video, blogs and sponsorship packages (unique opportunities for advertisers in addition to rotational media).
What types of ad units do you sell?
Real Cities supports all rich media formats, including expandables, and interactive ad units such as PointRoll's PaperBoy ad unit and DoubleClick's SmartMedia ad unit that takes an advertisers Sunday circular and puts it online. Real Cities supports IAB standard units.
What benefits can you deliver the properties that you work with?
The key benefit Real Cities provides local newspaper.com sites is access to national ad dollars they would not otherwise see, and increased utilization of their ad inventory. Real Cities is an additional revenue stream for its properties in addition to helping them expand their national sales reach. Real Cities also provides its affiliates/members a forum to share ideas with other local sites and the opportunity to participate in unique integrated advertising programs.
What types of advertisers do you work with?
Real Cities works with a broad range of advertisers across many categories: auto (Volvo, Ford, Lexus, Nissan), financial (AMEX, Wachovia, Visa), mobile/telcom (Verizon, AT&T, Cingular), travel (American Airlines, Jet Blue, Marriott) and retail (Walgreens, Target), just to name a few.
How do advertisers know where their ads are showing up?
Real Cities tracks all campaigns and provide reporting on delivery and screen shots showing placements.
How can you slice up your network?
By site, by market, by region, by DMA or by ZIP code.
How does Real Cities differ from its competitors?
"Our ability to provide beyond the banner opportunities and unique sponsorship packages to advertisers," says David Fitzpatrick, vice president of national sales for Real Cities.