The company is so named because it targets the influential one-third (33 percent) across the web. 33Across is focusing not simply on where people are and what they're doing on the web, but also where they sit in their "social graph." This social-relationship data, according to CEO/co-founder Eric Wheeler, is critical in understanding the spread of viral.

"What we're doing -- that no one else is doing -- is really understanding advertising along a social dimension, not just the contextual and demographic targeting, which everybody's really been focused on to date," Wheeler said. "We're bringing together where someone sits in their social graph -- measures of influence and virality and that connection data -- to really round out a full picture of a person."

This fuller picture helps advertisers better target more relevant ads and provides monetization opportunities for social media companies. 

"The social web is fueled by the connections between people and the engagement around shared areas of interest," Wheeler explained. "The problem is that most of the targeting systems today are really page based; they're not taking into account the inherent data that exists in the social web, and they ignore where a person sits in their network, what their active engagement level is, and what sorts of things they like and surround themselves with."

So, how does one quantify engagement level? Say the analytics indicate that 10 percent of the members of a weight-loss social network left five or more comments on a blog. These members would be considered engaged and, most likely, influential individuals. Targeting relevant ads at these people provides advertisers with more focus and, theoretically, more bang for their buck.

"We're enabling a media buyer to effectively buy word of mouth or buy influence with media," Wheeler said. "Never before have they had these tools."

Like KISSMetrics, a large part of 33Across' mission is educating its clients. While publishers are currently its main client, Wheeler has plans to ultimately expand the operation. "As we grow, we will absolutely become our own ad network and sell directly to clients," he said.