Rival to Google AdSense planned

Online marketers will be interested to hear of a soon-to-be-launched service that looks to take on Google's AdSense product.

Social networking website MySpace - which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation - is set to launch an advertising drive with plans for a direct rival to Google's current ad offering, reports the Guardian.

As with Google's AdSense product, advertisers target their campaigns to users depending on their profile information and tailor products to interests.

MySpace has been running a trial since July with its Hypertargeting product ensuring that advertisers can direct their ads to over 100 different groups and sub-groups across areas such as travel, finance, music, electronics and gaming.

Travis Katz, MySpace international managing director, said: "AdSense was the first targeted advertising product that was open to everyone, and tapped the long tail.

"It showed that you don't have to be a huge company to buy media space, you could be a small start-up, a pizza place or a band. We're taking the same concept but it's not just text based."

Over 50 advertisers have already signed up to the first stage of MySpace's Hypertargeting drive including Procter & Gamble, Ford and Toyota.