Ad network launch targets sought-after Asian sector

by Ann-Marie Corvin, Media Week 03-Jun-08, 15:00

LONDON - Online publisher People Group has become the second company to launch an ad network aimed at Britain's estimated one million-plus South Asian internet users.

Called People Online, the network follows in the footsteps of Indoor Media's Ad Masala, which launched last August with 12 sites and now claims a portfolio of 125 sites.

People Group owns matchmaking site Shaadi.com and online gaming company Mauj. People Online claims to have built up a portfolio of more than 30 online publishers.

Content partners so far include Telegraph Group in Calcutta, Express India Group, news site Malaryala Manorama and on-demand sites Bollywood TV, Eros Entertainment and BigFlicks.

UK-based partners to the network, which aims to target an audience worth an estimated £32bn, according to People Online, include Sunrise Radio and newspaper publisher Eastern Eye. At launch, advertisers include Diabetes UK, while the site is currently in talks with O2 and Barclays.

Geeta Srivastava, UK country head at People Group, said all campaigns on the network would be strategically placed in specific sections for the relevant audience and optimised on a regular basis.

Its ad-serving software is managed from offices in India and allows publishers to serve separate ads to different Asian audiences.

Meanwhile, rival site Ad Masala has diversified into recruitment advertising with Job Masala, and is working with firms such as the BBC and COI, which want to hire staff from different ethnic backgrounds.

Ad Masala managing director Murly Tiwari said that the main company has increased its revenue quarter on quarter by 100% since its August launch.

He added: "Diversity targeting will grow in importance because the product stands out the more relevant it is to the audience. The South Asian community is where we started but, for every significant ethnic minority, we are able to go to an advertiser, find out which group they are after and come up with ideas that address that community."

Indoor Media is also planning to launch a Polish vertical that will start with 10 publishers and hopes to target the estimated 300,000 UK-based Polish internet users.