MSN takes on Google AdWords

In a move that counters Google’s successful advertising programs, Microsoft’s MSN unit on Monday launched its own paid-search advertising program in France and said it plans to begin testing the system in the United States next month.

MSN AdCenter, which debuted in Singapore at the end of last month, allows advertisers to launch highly targeted online keyword search-based campaigns, with the ability to include or exclude target customers based on geographic location, gender and age and to run ads only during certain times and days.

The system competes with Google’s AdWords program and will eventually replace a keyword-based advertising program MSN contracts out to Yahoo. It has a simple user interface and is notable for its use of customer profiling, taking advantage of the data MSN gathers from its more than 9 million subscribers.

“With the competing products you buy a word. On ours you go into detailed level and see who is searching for words,” said Eric Hadley, senior director of advertising and marketing for MSN. “You can plan an (ad) buy based on the people and say, ‘I’m willing to pay this much for this demographic, and I don’t want these people in the mix.'”

Full article: CNET News.com