New Ad Product By The Weather Channel Interactive to Utilize Nielsen Claritas Consumer Data

Enhanced Segmentation Targeting Will Increase Effectiveness of Advertising on the weather.com Site

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) October 6, 2008 -- In conjunction with 2008-2009 Infront efforts, The Weather Channel Interactive (TWCi) has announced the launch of Segmentation Targeting featuring Nielsen's Claritas PRIZM segment data. The new product provides census segmentation data for advertisers on the weather.com® site, which bolsters the enhanced ZIP code-targeting capabilities TWCi provides its advertisers, resulting in more effective campaigns.

The Segmentation Targeting product features Nielsen Claritas PRIZM data for more highly-targeted campaigns. Building on the weather.com site's already robust geo-targeting product, PRIZM segments classify users by census-based demographic, psychographic and socio-economic data attributes. This allows advertisers to customize their message and creative units to reach a highly-targeted, receptive audience. Since online visitors to The Weather Channel naturally enter their ZIP codes while checking their local weather, the weather.com site can offer Segmentation Targeting with a high degree of accuracy.

PRIZM was pioneered nearly 25 years ago by Claritas, Nielsen's marketing information provider. PRIZM combines data from the U.S. Census with proprietary methodology that classifies the U.S. population into demographic segments that are critical to advertisers' marketing strategies.

"PRIZM (data) offers a deeper understanding of who visits the site and how that compares to an advertiser's target audiences. Enhancing the weather.com site's portfolio of ad-targeting capabilities only strengthens its ability in the market to deliver the right ad to the right visitor," said Nielsen Claritas Vice President Bruce Wilkinson.

"PRIZM is another example of TWCI offering our advertisers the latest technology to most effectively target and reach their customers," said Sheila Buckley, vice president of national ad sales for The Weather Channel Interactive. "This additional data, along with ad products that include weather-triggered creative, geo-targeting and interactive map based ads, make the weather.com site one of the most effective sites available."

The launch of Segmentation Targeting builds on the already effective, multi-platform reach offered by TWCI. During the Infront season, TWCI emphasizes its advanced targeting ad products, which lead the industry in innovation and are more efficient at reaching the desired audience with more contextually relevant campaigns than ads on other sites. In addition, TWCI sets itself apart by offering advertisers full transparency so they can be sure their ads run alongside high-quality content.

About The Weather Channel Interactive:
The Weather Channel Interactive (TWCI) is the leading provider of broadband and wireless weather products including weather.com, The Weather Channel Desktop, and The Weather Channel Mobile. weather.com, the Web site of The Weather Channel, is the ultimate source of weather on the Web helping users plan their lives by delivering timely current conditions, expert forecasts and relevant lifestyle content for 98,000 locations worldwide. The Weather Channel reaches more than 38 million unique users online each month and is the most popular source of online weather, news and information according to Nielsen//NetRatings. The Weather Channel Interactive also provides consumers with unique and customizable products such as Desktop Weather and a full lineup of mobile services including downloads, messaging, mobile video and the most popular content site on the mobile Web. Other TWCi sites include forGetaway.com, a vacation home rental site, Forecast Earth, a site dedicated to the discussion of climate change, and a series of international sites, including weather.co.uk/, meteo123.com/, wetter123.com/,.canaldotempo.com/ and weather.com/espanol. For more information please visit weather.com/press.

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