Chitika’s Related Product Unit Maximizes Revenue Opportunity for Online Publishers

RPU Beta Testers Report Significant Increase in Earnings

Marlborough, MA. — February 28, 2008 — Chitika, a leader in online branding and advertising, today released its Related Product Unit (RPU), a first-of-its-kind online advertising unit strategically placed on a publisher’s site to monetize site space that is typically not generating ad revenue. The Chitika RPU recently underwent beta testing with select premium publishers whose feedback was overwhelming positive, especially for the new revenue opportunity. The company is now making the RPU available to its entire network of more than 17,000 online publishers.

The Chitika RPU is strategically placed below the text of a posting and above the “related links” section. Since no other advertising units are designed to capitalize on this site real estate, the revenues from the RPU are all incremental for the publisher. The customizable design of the unit ensures that it visually coheres with the themes of the publisher’s site. It is strategically designed to complement not cannibalize revenue streams from traditional programs, such as Google Adsense.

“While laser quality targeting is almost always a good thing, sometimes people might want to learn about similar products to the one they have been researching to make sure they are making an informed purchase,” said Tim Flight of GPSreview.net. “The Chitika RPU allows me to show information about other products the customer might want to research before making a purchasing decision. RPU makes me more money, and offers my readers more choices.”

“Our mission is to help publishers maximize their revenue opportunity without jeopardizing their relationships with readers,” said Venkat Kolluri, CEO of Chitika. “The RPU is yet another complementary ad unit, similar to our new Viral Branding Unit, which enhances the look, feel and utility of the site and increases its earnings. This focus on the total experience is why our network is not only a major money-maker for our publishers, but also why it is the best at engaging buyers, publishers and brands in relevant, meaningful and sustainable conversations.”

About Chitika
Chitika (www.chitika.com) is a full-service online advertising network specializing in the blogosphere and social networks. Today, it engages buyers, brands and bloggers by serving interactive, user-controllable ads directly within relevant posts. Recently, Chitika expanded micro advertising into social networks by enabling independent Facebook application developers to earn revenue as ad-supported micropublishers. For all publishers, Chitika is an easy-to-use platform for earning daily ad revenue. For advertisers and media buyers, Chitika is a proven channel for targeting online consumers and qualified buyers – as they are actively considering a purchase – and engaging them in relevant, brand-specific or product-specific conversations. Founded in 2003, Chitika now serves more than one billion ads per month and counting.

Media Contact:
Chris Amenta, Greenough Communications
617-275-6531
camenta@greenoughcom.com