Hoping to Speed Campaign Launches, Theorem Buys Webpencil

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Looking to shorten the lag between the creation and delivery of rich media ads, New Jersey-based online media operations and data services company Theorem has acquired Webpencil, a rich media design boutique based in Las Vegas.

Theorem specializes in reporting, online ad and search operations services for online marketers as well as rich media testing, trafficking and e-mail marketing campaign deployment.

CEO and Founder Jay Kulkarni, former head of product management at DoubleClick, said Theorem does a lot of outsourced operations for agencies, publishers and networks. "In the process of doing that, we found pain in the industry... What they're saying is that there must be an easier, quicker and more efficient way to come up with the creative process."

Kulkarni said Theorem's customers were unhappy with the delay, often up to six weeks, between when a campaign is created and when it runs. "Also, it's too expensive to have different variations and different sizes of these banners," he said, noting Theorem has about 65 customers "all over the world."

His goal was to add the creative process to Theorem's capabilities, and he says he had a specific type of company in mind. "When I started to look at an acquisition this summer, I wanted it to be a U.S.-based company, I wanted it to have less than a dozen people, and I wanted them to be very intimate with rich media and flash banners that run on the networks."

He said Webpencil fit the bill perfectly, being a specialist boutique that's been working in the field for a decade. The firm builds online advertising creatives and rich media compatible with Flash, DART Motif, PointRoll, Eyeblaster and Atlas, among other platforms. Kulkami was also impressed that Webpencil created campaigns for Barack Obama's campaign.

Details of the acquisition were not revealed. Webpencil cofounders David and Cheryl Rosowsky will remain with the company in their current roles.