Reach & Frequency

WhenU targets categories of consumer interest, not individual sites. We have built a category map of the internet which allows us to identify the subject of interest of our consumers in a 100 percent privacy protected manner. Our privacy protection sets us apart from our competitors, all of whom deploy tracking cookies or other methods of harvesting consumers’ behavioral data for server-side analysis in order to target based on behavior. In addition, we focus primarily on the contextual piece of behavioral targeting, which is more tightly defined as being at the moment the consumer is interested in the subject versus building a historical behavioral profile (e.g., this person is interested in travel now versus this person has visited travel sites in the past). We have found that it is not neither necessary nor desirable to harvest behavioral data for server-side analysis because the usefulness of behavioral data degrades very quickly.

More than 10 million unique users.

We typically run 200 to 300 million impressions per month.

We show an average of two ads per active consumer per day (i.e., for consumers who go online that day). The exact number of ads WhenU will show an individual in a given day depends on that person’s behavior; if you’re actively researching purchases, you may see more, but only if we have an ad to show you that is highly relevant to what you’re doing at that moment. Our “inventory” is potentially unlimited, but frequency is strictly capped to ensure relevancy and provide a better consumer experience.

Pricing

We price primarily on a CPC basis with some CPM pricing.

Formats

We accept primarily IAB standard formats such as 250x250, 250x300, 600x400, et cetera. We also accept rich media formats and have our own proprietary shaping technology, which allows our advertisers to place uniquely shaped, attention-grabbing ads and images on consumers’ desktops.

Segments

Since we are 100 percent protective of consumer privacy, we do not segment our audience. Instead, we built a complete categorization of the Internet broken out at high level (e.g., Travel, Dating, Automotive) down to discrete areas of interest (e.g., Luxury SUV, Las Vegas Hotels). We can also target based on geographic location.

Data Points

We use impression and click data for our consumers in the aggregate based only on ads that consumers see via WhenU, whereas our competitors also collect extensive data on consumers’ browsing and other online activities (via tracking cookies, PIE and other technologies that harvest comprehensive records of consumers’ movements and activities across the internet.

WhenU does not use tracking cookies, nor do we employ any technologies to harvest consumers’ behavioral data for server-side analysis or profiling. WhenU takes a unique client-side approach to BT; our proprietary client software is loaded with a database of rules which makes decisions locally on the consumer’s machine regarding which ads to show based on the consumer’s behavior in a 100 percent privacy protected way. A very small amount of behavioral data is stored in encrypted form on the consumer’s computer in a manner that neither WhenU nor anyone else can access. Nothing about the individual consumer’s behavioral patterns is communicated back to WhenU’s servers for analysis; WhenU does not engage in any kind of consumer profiling, anonymous or otherwise.

Due to our focus on privacy, we do not have a high visibility into individual consumer’s total online behavior, and that’s the way we like it. Our track record demonstrates that it simply is not necessary to know everything about what a person does online in order to serve highly relevant advertising at exactly the right moment and achieve the high click through and conversion rates that make BT so desirable.

Privacy

WhenU is built on privacy protection. We have architected our technology so that we can deliver behaviorally and contextually targeted ads while protecting privacy 100 percent as described above. Most BT solution providers are quick to point out that they do not collect personally identifiable information. But they do capture vast amounts of behavioral data and engage in extensive profiling of consumers. WhenU believes that approach is to BT is fatally flawed, and that the industry’s growing addiction to harvesting and hording vast amounts of consumers’ behavioral data is unhealthy and contributes to cascading trust among consumers.

WhenU displays extremely short, clear and prominent disclosure to consumers about how WhenU works -- including a sample ad and links to our EULAs and Privacy Policies, which are unusually short and free of excess legalese -- and we get consent from consumers to show ads based on their online behavior. Each ad unit served is clearly labeled; we remind people that the ad is coming from WhenU software installed on the computer, not website(s). There’s also a “?” on every ad unit that the consumer can click to learn more about how WhenU works, review the EULA and privacy policy and find opt-out instructions.

Hell no. Nor does WhenU engage in any kind of consumer profiling, anonymous or otherwise.

WhenU goes to extreme lengths to protect peoples’ privacy. Protecting privacy means more than just saying you don’t collect personally identifiable information. WhenU respects the privacy of peoples’ behavioral data as well: we don’t massage it, share it, sell it or lose it, because we don’t collect it in the first place. Having WhenU running on your computer is far less invasive to privacy than using a search engine or visiting a major news site. We know nothing about our users, and that’s the way we like it!

Client Testimonials

I believe in behavioral targeting, and WhenU provides a cost efficient way to utilize this evolving methodology. Kayak.com, a meta-search site in the travel space, has had a good experience with WhenU as they deliver a highly responsive audience at a fair price.
-- Dean Harris, CMO, Kayak.com

ROI is a major concern for Reunion and spending advertising dollars in the right place is essential to our business model. Otherwise, we do not continue to succeed. WhenU’s Behavioral Targeting helps identify qualified users for our service. WhenU staff is very focused on our goals and makes every effort to achieve them.
-- Gary Hall, senior director business development, Reunion.com Inc.

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