Centro and BAT Partner to Give Star Treatment to Locally Targeted Ad Campaigns

Ford Among Advertisers Using Celebrity Endorsements to Drive Branding and Local Online Ad Campaigns

IRVINE, CALIF.-May 18, 2009 - Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT), the company bringing athlete and celebrity endorsements to the web, and Centro, the leader in local online media planning and buying, have partnered to give advertisers the ability to reach consumers in local markets with strategically selected endorsement talent.  Ford is among Centro’s first clients to run a geographically targeted endorsed campaign.  The Ford Fusion ads running in Detroit feature Detroit Red Wings’ captain and four-time Stanley Cup winner Nicklas Lidstrom.

The partnership leverages Centro’s expertise in local media and BAT’s simplified endorsement process to give national and regional advertisers the ability to reach consumers with geographically and contextually relevant campaigns. Advertisers use BAT’s Platform to identify and deploy the most appropriate talent for their brands and markets from a roster of more than 2,000 athletes and celebrities.  Once an endorsement deal is offered and accepted, advertisers use video and still assets to create compelling creative for relevant markets. Campaigns can be executed in a fraction of the time it takes for a traditional endorsement deal.

“Nicklas Lidstrom is arguably the best defenseman in the NHL, and you would be hard pressed to find anyone in all of Detroit more beloved than him, especially this time of the year.” said Brian Bos, SVP & Convergence Director at Mindshare - Team Detroit, agency for Ford. “Associating Ford with Nick is incredibly powerful - he delivers instant recognition and an enthusiastic response from consumers. The ability to quickly and easily secure endorsement talent through Brand Affinity Technologies is a ‘game changer’ compared to the old model and a significant opportunity for brands like Ford.  Utilizing BAT quickens our ability to get to market, as our campaign went live just days after we proposed the deal.”

“Centro is always looking for the most unique and innovative solutions for our clients, and consumers respond to relevant and engaging content,” said Shawn Riegsecker, Centro President. “By working with BAT, our team can easily help agencies align their advertisers with celebrities and further increase their brand favorability in any given market. Locally targeted endorsements are now a realistic, cost-effective, and compelling option for advertisers who want to tap into consumer fervor for local celebrities and athletes.”

Recent in-market analysis showed that BAT-enabled ad campaigns delivered an average of 13.5 times advertisers’ typical conversion rates and 3.5 times advertisers’ typical click-through rates.  BAT-enabled ads also deliver significant results on a branding level: an independent study measured a 180% increase in brand awareness and a 27% increase in purchase intent when comparing campaigns featuring athletes to the same ads with no endorsement.

“Advertisers can now reach one of the most coveted online audiences - local media readership - with ads designed to capitalize on the passion consumers have for their ‘hometown heroes,’” said Ryan Steelberg, President and CEO of BAT. “Centro is the go-to solution for advertisers that understand the power of local media and the value of aligning their brands with celebrities like Nick Lidstrom of Detroit. The rules of the endorsement game have officially changed.”

About Centro
Centro enhances the success of advertising agencies by helping them develop and execute comprehensive local digital solutions.  Using their proprietary technology platform, Centro streamlines the complex process of buying and selling online advertising among hundreds of national and regional agencies and thousands of local online publishers. With eleven offices across the US, the Chicago-based firm services more than 450 advertisers through their respective agencies and has more than 8,500 digital media companies indexed in Transis, its automated media buying and execution software.

About Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT)
Founded in 2007, BAT (http://brandaffinity.net) is reinventing the business of endorsement marketing for the online world by making it easy and affordable for advertisers of all sizes to launch ad campaigns featuring athletes and celebrities. Advertisers use BAT’s Endorsement Platform to identify, license, and activate the most effective talent for their campaigns, based on brand and targeting considerations. Currently, BAT’s Platform features more than 2,000 top athletes and celebrities in markets nationwide, and is used by leading advertisers to build brand value and boost campaign performance. BAT’s celebrity roster includes marquee active and retired players in nearly every sport, including Drew Brees (NFL), Josh Hamilton (MLB), Rajon Rondo (NBA), Brooks Robinson (MLB - Hall of Fame), Emmitt Smith (NFL - retired), and Lennox Lewis (Boxing).

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