Vserv.mobi launches audience targeting platform AudiencePro

IDG Ventures-backed mobile advertising network Vserv.mobi has launched an audience targeting platform called AudiencePro. The platform will allow advertisers to target their audience based on demographics, spending power, network usage, location, content relevance and device specific data.

The AudiencePro platform combines the Vserv network with user data from telcos, and this enables the advertisers to reach a larger user base.

Vserv has signed up Airtel as its first telco partner and plans to partner with others as well. According to the company, the non-exclusive deal with Airtel is based on a revenue sharing model. Ad networks typically collect their data from their own network but here, the user-base gets bigger with a service provider like Airtel. In September 2012, Airtel's global subscriber base was estimated at 262 million.

Founded in 2010 by Dippak Khurana and Ashay Padwal, Vserv.mobi received Series A round of funding of $3 million from IDG Ventures in July, 2011. In India, Vserv competes with Google's AdMob, Komli Mobile, AdiQuity, InMobi, Microsoft Advertising (mobile), Networkplay's Seventynine and Vdopia.

Speaking to afaqs! on the objective behind launching AudiencePro, Khurana, CEO and co-founder, Vserv.mobi says that the platform will accelerate the growth of mobile advertising in India.

"The AudiencePro platform allows more targeted and relevant ads. As a mobile ad network, we have data and AudiencePro combines our data with telco data. Given our understanding and presence across emerging markets, we are already working towards rolling out the AudiencePro platform with partners across the globe. We currently have 85 million users across platforms in our network and the AudiencePro data will help the advertisers reach those people effectively."

The company says that as a part of its user privacy policy, it allows customers to opt out of the AudiencePro platform as and when they feel like.

Mobile advertising, however effective, has struggled to reach size in India so far. Many believe that it has still not evolved very much beyond SMS marketing, which is an intrusive option.

According to Khurana, AudiencePro fills a need gap for both telcos, which are on the lookout for mobile advertising opportunities in today's app-dominated world, and advertisers, who always seek richer audience profile insights. "The platform provides a powerful solution to both these challenges,"

adds Khurana.

The company expects that AudiencePro will increase its revenue by three folds by the end of this year.