Yahoo Opens Personal Data for Starcom Targeted Video Ads

A deal between Yahoo and media planning company Starcom will bring more targeted video advertising to Yahoo video viewers. Under the exclusive arrangement, Starcom will get access to user data from Yahoo, which it will combine with client data from the brands it represents in order to create personalized videos ads. Yahoo data will come from Yahoo search records (both the terms people search and the sites they click), Yahoo email content, or other Yahoo properties. This will be the first time Yahoo search information is used for the creation and delivery of targeted video advertising.

"Yahoo sits on data based on all of its platforms," Lisa Donohue, Starcom CEO, said in an interview with AdAge. "Our clients sit on data about their own consumers. So instead of hoping that consumers find content, let's use the data to create and push online video content out to consumers."

Starcom clients such as Allstate, Hallmark, Jim Beam, Kellogg's, and Kraft will be the first brands to use the system.

"This agreement puts the power of data to work to ensure that the right content and advertising finds the right consumers both on Yahoo properties and through off-channel audience targeting," Yahoo said in a statement.

A Yahoo executive will deliver the second day keynote address at next week's Streaming Media West conference in Huntington Beach, California.