PlaceLocal to ghostwrite ads for small businesses

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PlaceLocal, a new online advertising service from PaperG, Inc., is trying to position itself as ghostwriter for small businesses looking to get a foothold in local, online advertising. Enjoying a burst of publicity in the blogosphere following a story in The New York Times (”An Ad Engine to Put ‘Mad Men’ Out of Business“), this newcomer will offer two services to its customers: first, it will generate an ad automatically from materials available online; then it will place this ad in a network of local media sites (the Times reports that there are currently 32 such sites available, “including Time Out New York and Time Out Chicago, and on 29 network TV affiliates owned or managed by Hearst Television”). These services are being aimed at small businesses in need of advertising as well as ad brokers and publishers looking for new ways to attract and serve their clientele.

The first service is the one garnering the most attention. Here are the features listed at PaperG’s promotional site:

PlaceLocal uses the information it finds — including logos, photos, reviews, awards, and other information — to design a completely customized display ad
The technology can be configured to include information from the publisher’s website
All aspects of the ad can be edited by the user through a step-by-step builder
Every ad automatically includes sharing features and a built-in map

The service will even create a website for an advertiser if they don’t already have one.

According to the Times the service is currently available through the media sites that have signed on, with pricing that is “set by the media company and varies from about $150 a month to $500 or more, based primarily on how many times the ad is shown.”

The ad-creation service doesn’t seem to provide any information or resources that couldn’t be had with a simple Google search, but perhaps the ease-of-use and centralization of the process will appeal to some. But, contra the hyperbolic headline, the “Mad Men” are not at risk as it will not replace the creative services and market savvy provided by a true advertising specialist.

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