SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (INTERNET WIRE) -- 12/11/2001 -- Premium Network, Inc. (www.premiumnetwork.com ), one of the oldest online media sales and promotions firms, today unveiled an innovative online media advertising purchasing/ratings system. This new media purchasing and measurement model clearly addresses interactive marketing’s greatest need: reaching a guaranteed share of a target audience, versus measuring advertising effectiveness by impressions and page views.

Through the Premium Buying Matrix™, advertisers can purchase ads on a Cost Per User (CPU) basis. Efficiencies and effectiveness are achieved by selecting the number of times a unique user will be exposed to a specific marketing message across Premium Network’s demographically targeted websites and portals. Through industry standard third party software, Premium Network will guarantee that ad’s reach and frequency to the target demographic.

The Premium Buying Matrix brings online media buying more in line with traditional media buying, such as print and broadcasting media. "The Premium Buying Matrix will allow advertisers to quantify audience in such a way that they can translate the buy into reach and frequency and, thus, TRPs [targeted rating points]. This is the kind of thing that the industry has needed for a long time. Though it has been possible before, Premium Network is actually doing it," said Jim Meskauskas, president of Media Darwin.

Premium Network’s move toward targeting specific audiences also represents the company’s commitment to stay in the forefront of industry media modeling. “Bringing online advertising more in line with print media, the Premium Buying Matrix is a more cost effective way for marketers to address and brand their customers,” said Ken Margolis, president of Premium Network. “Offering our clients and the industry at large the most effective and efficient advertising model has always been our company’s hallmark, and will continue to be our number one goal.”

Premium Network, Inc., an online media sales and promotions firm, specializes in creating integrated promotions to help companies market their products or services. Ranked 4th among ad networks in the United States by MediaPost.com (November 2001), Premium Network offers over 90 million monthly visitors worldwide (aggregate users based on analysis of per site traffic as determined by netScore), 7 billion monthly ad impressions, and a network of over 150 websites, in various categories, under contract. Premium Network delivers specific audiences to advertisers in highly targeted, cost effective online advertising campaigns.