WebProNews

Today Microsoft launched a mobile behavioral targeting solution. This means the same behavioral targeting elements used on Microsoft's online properties are available to buyers of the company's mobile display ad inventory.

"Mobile behavioral targeting enables advertisers to reduce advertising waste and maximize the impact and ROI of their mobile campaigns by targeting consumers who have already demonstrated an interest in specific product categories," says Microsoft Director, Global Trade Marketing, Microsoft Mobile Advertising Jamie Wells. "Over one hundred behavioral segments across popular advertiser categories such as Automotive, Financial Services, Health, Lifestyle, Life Stages, News and Entertainment, Retail, Technology and Travel are available for purchase."

The solution works by anonymously tracking behaviors of users and classifying them into unique segments, using info from:

- PC Web keyword search behavior from Bing Search

- PC Web Site visits to various sites across the Microsoft network

- Microsoft network data (i.e. Hotmail newsletters, Xbox subscription data)

- Profile data from Windows Live

"With Microsoft Mobile Behavioral Targeting, data from these sources and others is factored together along with its relevancy to create hundreds of unique, specific segments," says Wells. "Within these niches are the consumers who are most likely to be receptive to your message."

Meanwhile, privacy groups are actively trying to get the government to crack down on behavioral targeting. Microsoft says, however, that it maintains a "strong focus" on protecting customers' privacy and adheres to "high" privacy standards. The company also assures users that no personally identifiable info is utilized.

The mobile behavioral targeting solution is currently available to advertisers in the US.