With Network Acquisition, Datran Blends Display and E-mail Ads

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Datran Media has acquired ad network Chintano, which offers contextual and behavioral targeting, in order to merge it with its own EO.com e-mail based ad network.

Datran launched the EO.com portal earlier this year as an e-mail ad network that publishers of newsletter and other e-mail lists could use to incorporate ads from marketers. Following the launch, Datran found marketer demand for site-based display ads, which led it to pursue the buy of Chintano, according to Sean O'Neal, chief revenue officer for Datran Media.

"We had been working with Chintano for quite some time to help us explore the display advertising opportunity and the ad network opportunity [and] we had a strong synergy with them," said O'Neal. "By integrating Chintano's display ad serving technology and bringing onboard its executive team we're able to do this very quickly."

By expanding into the display ad network realm with the Chintano acquisition, O'Neal recognizes that Datran will be taking on more established firms like Advetising.com and Blue Lithium, but believes the firm will be able to distinguish itself with its dual e-mail and display ad offering.

Chintano's staff will be integrated into Datran's New York offices, with Chintano Chief Executive Officer Ramesh Haridas becoming Datran Media's vice president of ad serving while Chief Technology Officer Geoff Simons was named targeting software architect for Datran. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Separately, Datran also hired Scott Knoll as senior vice president and general manager. Knoll is the former CEO of BlackFoot and an executive at DoubleClick. "He will be highly involved in the EO expansion strategy from both e-mail and display," O'Neal said of Knoll.