Online Ad network Komli targets NRIs in the US, UK

Komli Media has launched a new service called NRI Ad network which allows advertisers from India, the US and the UK to serve ads targeted at non-resident Indians staying in the US and the UK. Only graphical ads are being served through the network

Basically, Komli is trying to monetise various Indian and US sites in its network, which are serving India specific content and are regularly checked by a number of NRIs in the US and the UK. Worldwide, 4,000 publishers subscribe to the Komli ad network, out of which 30 per cent are Indian sites such as Zeenews.com, Sulekha.com, Deccanchronicle.com and Mapsofindia.com. Eighty unique advertisers in India contribute to the inventory of the Komli ad network, among them ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, HSBC and Reliance Money.

According to Akshay Garg, business head, Komli, “We have set up a client development team in the US, which will focus on advertisers who want to target NRIs. We are also working with a number of Indian sites like Zeenews.com, Hindustantimes.com and Indya.com to get NRI ad inventory for them.”

Two US advertisers, eTrade, a financial services company, and ETS, an education testing service which conducts the TOEFL exam, has opted for the NRI ad network. Indian companies such as Tata Indicom, ICICI Bank, Makemyrtrip.com and Bharatmatrimony.com have also joined the NRI ad network. Publishers which have subscribed to the NRI ad network are Indya.com, Zeenews.com, Hindustantimes.com, Howstuffworks.com, Hollywood.com, Smashits.com, Yahoo.com, eBay.in and Facebook.com.

Recently, Greg Stuart, former chief executive officer of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), and Munjal Shah, CEO and co-founder of Like.com, joined Komli’s advisory board.

Garg says, “Stuart will use his knowledge of online advertising to help us develop better products and strategy. Shah will use his entrepreneurial skills to help us in growing and expanding.”