Local display ads, generated automatically

Much the way Spot Runner and Spotzer aim to make local television advertising easy and affordable, so PlaceLocal strives to deliver a similar result on the web. The PlaceLocal platform, from Connecticut-based advertising technology company PaperG, allows online publishers to automate local ad creation, sales and management. Aspiring advertisers need only type in their business name, and PlaceLocal will automatically search the web for relevant information—including logos, photos, reviews, awards and other information—and then use it to create a customised online advert. Advertisers aren’t required to have their own website in order to create an advert—in fact, if they don’t have one, PlaceLocal will create one for them. Once generated, the ad is fully editable by the user. The ads can then be booked to appear on partner websites in the same geographic location. In addition to the obvious benefits for advertisers, PlaceLocal can also be used by publishing sales reps to increase new advertising opportunities, PaperG says. Publishers can bill their clients directly or use PaperG’s credit card billing system, and a PlaceLocal account provides real-time stats for any ad. (Related: Local TV advertising made easy — Marketplace for custom advertising images.) Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann