Adbot to auction over 100 million ad impressions at lowest rates in history of Internet advertising

Business Wire,  April 3, 1997  

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CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 1997--With more than 107 million ad impressions on the auction block and bids starting at only $5 CPM, advertisers have an unprecedented opportunity to make affordable Web banner ad placements when Adbot holds the first open-outcry auction of Internet ad space on April 10.

Only ten weeks after unveiling its brokerage service for Internet ad space, Adbot today announced that more than 90 Web sites have signed contracts to sell banner space in the company's first auction April 10.

All participating sites have agreed to open bidding at only $5 per thousand ad impressions -- a rate up to 10 times lower than rates published by many major Web sites. Adbot is aware of no other instance in which such a large volume of Web ad impressions has been offered at a price as low as that acceptable as an opening bid in next week's auction.

Adbot's stable of publishers selling space includes Four11, USA.NET, REX, Filez.com, SolariaGames, MovieWEB, the Daily Soccer, America's Business Funding Directory, Glamorama, Worldwide Wheels, Instant Sports, C-BOX, and many others. These sites will deliver their impressions over a three-to-six-month period beginning May 1.

A partial list of auction participants is online at http://www.adbot.com; the complete list will be posted tomorrow afternoon.

Adbot President Jim Frith credits the company's initial success to the demand for an Internet ad space transaction service that eliminates excess and unsold ad space -- and to the demand for an easier and more cost-effective method for advertisers to place banners across networks of Web sites.

"Adbot's goal is to allow the force of competitive bidding to determine the value of the ad space and to sell out all the available inventory. This is a dramatic departure from the fixed price or `rate card' pricing model which has produced vast quantities of unsold ad space, even on many quality Web sites," Frith said.

The auction will take place at 1 p.m. Central Standard Time April 10 on Adbot's auction floor in downtown Chicago. Advertisers and ad agencies must pre-qualify to bid and must communicate their intention to bid at least an hour before the auction.

Working with Internet broadcast specialists Graham Technology Solutions Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., Adbot will broadcast the auction via live, real-time audio and video feed to all interested parties who have a Java-capable browser and ISDN or higher Internet connection.

Advertisers and ad agencies do not have to attend the auction or view the broadcast to bid on ad space; Adbot's sales representatives, called Internet Advertising Brokers, will accept bids via secure email or telephone.

Most of the ad space will be sold on "content networks" grouped by subject category. Content networks are Arts & Entertainment, Business & Finance, Computers & Internet, Search Engines & Directories, and Sports & Leisure. All participating sites have met Adbot's standards for minimum traffic, editorial quality and content ratings.

Specialty Auctions

Adbot will also hold its first "specialty auction" on April 10. Text-based banner ad space will be sold on email messages forwarded from the USA.NET free email service to USA.NET users' outside email accounts. Ten million ad impressions to be delivered over a two-to-four month period will be offered.

This specialty auction increases the options for advertisers seeking to develop an online presence. In the coming months, Adbot plans to auction many unique advertising opportunities on individual Web sites, email services and other interactive media.

About USA.Net

USA.NET (http://www.usa.net) is a national leader in Internet email services and the home of "America's E-mail Address," NetAddress. USA.NET is a next generation Internet post office that brings email to the masses. With NetAddress, subscribers receive a permanent, portable email address; other unique features include message forwarding, advanced mail retrieval, an event reminder, and content filtering.

About Four11: The Internet White Pages

The Four11 directory is a free online search and listing service which can be found on the Web at http://www.Four11.com . Four11 was the first company to develop an effective Internet white pages. Founded in 1994 and located in Menlo Park, California, Four11 is a market leader in database size, site traffic, market presence, services and experience.

About Adbot

Adbot, Inc. provides an Internet advertising network in which all media transactions occur by means of an organized, impartially mediated auction market. Our mission is to provide the industry's most efficient way to buy and sell ad space on Internet-based publications. We are committed to assisting Internet content providers in maximizing the potential revenues of their publications while making it possible for advertisers to reach their target audiences with effective and affordable media placements. -0-