MediaPost
September 20, 2004
AOL as of today allows advertisers to buy into its instant message bot program--through which marketers communicate directly with instant message users via an automated robot--without also purchasing other advertising on AOL, according to Michael Barrett, executive vice president for AOL media networks. Marketers currently participating in the bot program include Nike, Kellogg/Keebler, Nintendo, ACUVUE, and The Wall Street Journal.
Users of AOL’s Instant Messenger who opt-in to the program can place the marketer’s bot on a buddy list, or simply start messaging it. For example, users who send a message to "recipe buddy" receive an instantaneous answer from Keebler offering links to recipes, including those that use Kellogg’s/Keebler products. (Friday afternoon, the bot touted Kellogg’s Rice Crispies Treats Original.)
AOL’s newest bot, for the TV game show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?," launched last week. Users can assist contestants on the show by messaging the bot with answers to the trivia questions posed. Nearly 100,000 instant message users added that bot to their buddy lists by the end of the week, said an AOL spokeswoman.
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09-20-2004, 12:00 AM
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