AdNectar Hits 2 Billion Virtual Gift Milestone

By Alicia Ashby On January 4, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Today the social advertising network AdNectar announced that it had served over 2 billion branded virtual gifts on Facebook and other social networks, according to TechCrunch. AdNectar designs branded virtual gifts for clients and then distributes them through a network of participating apps, fan pages, and other social media outlets. The company's clients include Gilette, Jelly Belly, 3M, Warner Bros., Fisher-Price, and the website Funny or Die.

AdNectar's data states that the branded virtual goods campaigns quickly scale to critical mass. The Malibu Rum and Nestle Toll House Cookies campaigns both reached 1 million gifts sent within about two weeks, as word of mouth spread. AdNectar reports engagement rates of anywhere from 2% to 6% in its campaigns, with boosts in purchase intent as high as 20% in the past (for a Godiva chocolate campaign).

TechCrunch also reports that AdNectar is now profitable. The company has 9 employees and is headquartered in Palo Alto. The only funding the company has ever accepted come from angel investors. Its CEO is Nir Eyal. The company's latest innovation has been a technology debuted in the Malibu Rum campaign, which allows streaming video links to be embedded in virtual gifts.