New York, NY – December 9, 2013 -- 24/7 Media, Inc., WPP Digital’s marketing technology company which will be merging with Xaxis early in 2014, today announced its acquisition of Crystal Semantics from ad pepper media International. Crystal Semantics is an award-winning provider of semantic advertising solutions.

By fully integrating Crystal Semantics’ solutions into its market-leading technology platform, 24/7 Media provides its advertiser and publisher clients worldwide with a highly advanced semantic advertising and brand safety platform that is unique in the market today.  In addition, as cookie-based targeting has become increasingly vulnerable to actions by both regulators and industry, semantic advertising provides 24/7 Media’s clients with a valuable alternative method of delivering highly precise advertising. 

With its proprietary technology, Crystal Semantics addresses a widespread problem in online advertising.  By accurately matching ads to the meaning of a page of Web content, the risk of irrelevant ads, poor campaign performance and brand damage caused by inappropriate ad placement, are greatly reduced. This technology, which uses both algorithmic and natural language processing, categorizes and classifies Web content in real-time.  It enables Real-Time Bidding and the delivery of highly targeted advertising that achieves campaign click-through rates far surpassing targeting methods that are based on keywords.  In addition to placing ads in relevant, contextual content, the technology also blocks ads from appearing on pages whose content is controversial or unsuitable for a particular brand. With the acquisition, 24/7 Media will incorporate these semantic classification solutions into its media business for advertisers and its licensed ad serving for publishers. The company’s upcoming merger with Xaxis will create the largest programmatic media and technology platform in the industry, serving clients worldwide.

“The ad tech ecosystem has become very focused on audiences, almost to the neglect of the value of both content and context,” said David J. Moore, Chairman & CEO, 24/7 Media.  “Crystal Semantics’ technology returns content to its rightful place and enhances the digital landscape for all players: advertisers, publishers and most importantly – consumers.  We are very pleased to welcome the Crystal Semantics team into the 24/7 Media family.  This smart, innovative technology, in concert with 24/7 Media’s leading solutions, will benefit our clients worldwide.”

Crystal Semantics’ technology, which leverages a multi-year language project, is smart enough to distinguish between multiple meanings for any given word.  The technology is available in 11 languages and is in ongoing development by a dedicated team of linguists and technologists.

"In the years that we have worked with 24/7 Media, we have seen their commitment to innovation and to partnering with best of breed companies,” said Ian Saunders, CEO, Crystal Semantics. “This acquisition allows us to bring our market leading semantic technology to a wider audience and in so doing, to enhance the offering and opportunity for 24/7 Media and its customers."

About 24/7 Media, Inc.

24/7 Media, Inc., formerly 24/7 Real Media, is a leader in digital marketing technology, serving advertisers, agencies and digital publishers worldwide.  The company has been in the forefront of media innovation for fifteen years.  The 24/7 technology platform spans every digital channel, providing users with unprecedented control and consolidated data analysis. This technology powers Real Media Group, a business unit that helps marketing organizations engage their audiences with superior precision, transparency and return on investment. The group also helps digital publishers monetize their properties and manage advertising operations more effectively. 24/7 Media is a WPP Digital company headquartered in New York with 18 offices in a dozen countries. For more information, please visit www.247media.com.

24/7 Media is a member of the NAI and adheres to the NAI privacy principles that have been applauded by the FTC. These principles are designed to help ensure Internet user privacy. For more information about online data collection associated with ad serving, including online preference marketing and an opportunity to opt-out of 24/7 Media cookies, go to: www.networkadvertising.org.

About Crystal Semantics Limited

Crystal Semantics is the leading provider of semantic advertising solutions. The company was founded in 2001 by Ian Saunders and Prof. David Crystal O.B.E. The company’s technology is based upon proprietary semantic technology which is the result of a 17 year language engineering project with over 500 man years of development. The Crystal Semantics solutions perform the accurate categorisation of content, enabling the accurate placement of advertisements but also blocking ads from appearing on pages containing controversial content. The company holds patents in the UK & US. The company’s technology is available in 11 languages and is undergoing ongoing development by a dedicated team of linguists and technologists.

Crystal Semantics Limited is a subsidiary of ad pepper media International N.V.