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Iven & Hillmann
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New ways in for Internet Marketing Professionals

Berlin, 06 May 2008 - Creative, specialist and forward thinking: well respected Berlin agency offers young new talent the opportunity to start a career in online marketing. Founded by Arend Lars Iven (32) and Ron Hillmann (40), the Iven & Hillmann agency recently joined global full-service digital communications group LBi, providing specialist services and expertise in Search Engine Marketing and Affiliate Marketing. The agency is responsible for online marketing services on behalf of multiple large-scale clients, involving the successful communication of brand USPs and fulfilling client's sales targets. Subsequently, the Talent School training programme offers the successful candidate an ideal platform to develop commercial experience and expertise in Marketing Communications.

„We offer multiple promising opportunities to young career starters “

The trainee programme provides a general marketing overview and the opportunity to gain varied experience for later specialisation. Looking beyond traditional advertising production techniques and booking models, the programme looks at the whole media planning process, naturally including the overlap with online channels and techniques. “I am finding it particularly interesting to learn and apply strategic marketing theory through Iven & Hillmann's programms in this industry, and I expect this focus to become even stronger through the group’s global operations”.

Starting with just two staff in 2004 in Hackesmarkt, today the agency employs around 25 staff. Well known brands such as TUI, Jamba, ImmobilienScout24, Congstar and SevenOne Intermedia entrust their online campaigns to the team at the Berlin agency. “We’re continuing to grow”, says Ron Hillmann, founder and MD at the agency, “and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find good people in this business. Therefore we have made the decision to develop the talent ourselves”.

Hillmann and his co-founder partner Iven are well regarded opinion leaders in the German web business. In addition to the agency, both are investors in promising start-ups such as ‘Hitflip’, ‘Linklift’, ‘IMEDO’ and ‘brands4friends’, enabling the development of further businesses and jobs, not only in the capital city.

„In this year alone we have appointed six additional staff” explains Iven, “….and we take care of our staff with a long-term view. To this end the trainee programme is covered by our company pension plan”

viagogo awards internet marketing account to Iven & Hillmann

Berlin, 25 February 2008 – Have you already reserved a ticket for the European Football Championship 2008? Tickets for concerts, sports events, art exhibitions and the theatre can bought online using viagogo. It’s convenient, simple and safe and now supported by Iven & Hillmann. The online marketing specialists based in Berlin and belonging to the digital agency network Lbi have started this month it’s long-term planning and implementation of affiliate marketing for the online ticket exchange and the foundations are now in place for a sustainable and comprehensive cooperation for the whole range of internet marketing.

viagogo is Europe’s leading online ticket exchange where tickets for live events can be bought or sold safely with a guarantee. Whether its tickets for Anna Netrebko, Bushido or Nelly Furtado, the live show from Mario Barth or in cooperation with FC Bayern Munich - at www.viagogo.de fans can bid for and buy tickets for all types of live events. Of course safety plays a very important role for viagogo. All transactions are processed with absolute security - the company utilises the latest technology to ensure optimal data security.

"We’re very pleased about our cooperation with Iven & Hillmann, a highly competent and experienced internet marketing agency” says Daniel Nathrath, viagogo Country Manager in Germany. "As the market leader in Europe we expect in ‘event year 2008’ a boom in the secondary ticket market, of course driven by the the European Football Championship 2008. We want to give the public the chance to acquire secure and guaranteed tickets for all events offered by the viagogo service and in addition to our PR agency Publicis Consultants we have now added Iven & Hillmann to our team."

“A ticket exchange offers an almost infinite range of areas from sport, music and culture which we can respond to in online marketing”, commented Ron Hillmann, Managing Director of Iven & Hillmann. “Following viagogo’s enormously successful start in Europe we are looking forward to contributing to this positive development here in Germany – firstly in affiliate marketing and later in internet marketing in general.”

About viagogo: viagogo (www.viagogo.de) is Europe’s leading online platform for the secondary ticket market, where tickets for events can be sold and exchanged without risk, safely and with a guarantee. viagogo was founded by internet entrepreneur Eric Baker in the U.K. in 2006. Previously, Baker had demonstrated his business acumen with the founding of the American company StubHub.com, today the most successful website for the resale of tickets for events in the USA. viagogo is the first provider of this type of service in Germany and is an asset for the online market due to its efficient and transparent structures. viagogo has exclusive partners such as Manchester United, FC Chelsea and FC Bayern Munich. Furthermore, viagogo has signed numerous cooperation contracts e.g. with Warner Music International and facebook and charities such as Amnesty International and artists’ charities from Linkin Park or Peter Gabriel. Numerous experienced media and internet business people belong to the investors and supervisory board of the company such as Dr. Herbert Kloiber, Managing Director and majority shareholder of the Tele München Group, Media entrepreneur and future Burda Chair Christiane zu Salm and Jamba founders Alexander, Marc and Oliver Samwer via their holding company European Founders Fund.

Iven & Hillmann supports MyVideo in search engine marketing

Berlin, 31 January 2008 – New TV-Shows, up-to-date music videos, the latest celebrity specials, exclusive comedy clips from successful TV formats such as Switch Reloaded or The Comedy-Trap and creative private videos: now it’s even easier to find top professional and amature clips from Germany using a search engine.

MyVideo, Germany’s most popular video community, has asked the online marketing agency Iven & Hillmann to support and optimize its search engine marketing. The agency, based in Berlin, has started straight away to register relevant key words, make special targetted bids and arouse the interest of thousands of users with snappy messages in advert format to click on to more pictures, info and news at www.myvideo.de.

The aim of the first German video community is to offer the biggest possible selection of creative music, comedy, sport and entertainment videos free of charge in one portal. Exclusive lifestyle cooperations with national and international artists and TV formats from the German-speaking world appeal to users and provide them with the chance to use their creativity.

“For marketing people like us it’s probably the most interesting challenge of all to convert creativity, trends and news from the web into advertising texts and to locate them in the search engines” enthused Ron Hillmann, Managing Director of Iven & Hillmann. “And we are especially pleased about the success of MyVideo. Internet users are grateful for the condensed news content they get when they are searching for information or videos.”

Iven & Hillmann merges with LBi International

Berlin, 19 December 2007 – The leading international full-service digital agency LBi International acquired with Iven & Hillmann one of the leaders in the field of online marketing. The two founders Arend Lars Iven and Ron Hillmann will stay in the company as CEO and will continue to run the business that has grown so successfully within the last years.

Existing and new clients will continue to profit from the outstanding service quality to which they have become accustomed from Iven & Hillmann and also reap the benefits from associating with a leading international company.

Background to the merger

In the light of the advanced internationalisation of the digital economy this step provides a coherent base for the future growth of Iven & Hillmann. Having been active internationally since 2004 the agency which specialises in Search Engine Marketing and Affiliate Marketing has strengthened its position in the German market and worldwide with this merger. It has also enabled it to make a larger digital service range available to its clients with services such as the creation of websites, building online-shops and Web Analytics.

“Through the merger with Iven & Hillmann we have enlarged our digital service range particularly in Germany and Europe”, states LBi CEO Robert Pickering. “With the special knowledge and the numerous valuable contacts that we have acquired we will be positioned even better.”

“We are happy that within the LBi network we are now able to provide our clients with a full service and that we can from now on profit from specialised know how from mature markets like the US and UK”, comments Arend Lars Iven, founder and CEO of Iven & Hillmann. “Therefore we have intentionally decided in favour of a digital agency network instead of a classical one.”

For the over twenty strong team of the Berlin agency the merger implies an exciting work environment with international key accounts and new colleagues in major cities all around the world. They will now get the chance to take part in a worldwide exchange of ideas which they can utilise for their existing clients such as TUI, Versatel, ImmobilienScout24 or Jamster. And they can also use this knowledge at the cutting edge for new business and to keep ahead of their national and international competitors.

About LBi
LBi is the leading international full-service digital agency servicing clients with marketing and technology solutions. The Company employs approx. 1,400 professionals located primarily in major European and American business centers, such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, London, Madrid, Milan, Mumbai, Munich, New York and Stockholm. Through interdisciplinary teams, LBi creates innovative multi-channel solutions for its national and international corporate clients by uniquely combining strategy development and creative design with specific industry expertise and the latest digital technology. LBi is listed on Euronext in Amsterdam as well as on the OMX Nordic Midcap segment in Stockholm.

Iven & Hillmann is seeking an Account-Manager (m/f) Search Engine Marketing and Affiliate Marketing

Berlin, November 30, 2007 – Founded in 2004, Iven & Hillmann is today one of the leading Online Marketing agencies. Specialising in Affiliate and Search Engine Marketing, the more than twenty-strong team creates made-to-measure concepts and guarantees their efficient implementation for clients such as TUIfly, Versatel, ImmobilienScout24 and buch.de. For the immediate future we are seeking an:

Account-Manager (m/f) Search Engine Marketing and Affiliate Marketing

You will be experienced in Online-Marketing especially in Search Engine Marketing and Affiliate Marketing. Having good general knowledge, you are committed, a team player and have good communication skills. In addition you are target-oriented, are able to work independently and have a good level of English. You enjoy a secure knowledge of Outlook, MS Office, and especially Excel und Word. Ideally, you have a completed degree or training in business studies plus relevant further training.

Your tasks:
• Customer Account Management: communication and consulting for well-known international clients
• Development of campaign strategies
• Planning, implementation, controlling and optimisation of campaign developments
• Extension and further development of client relations
• Coordination of external partners (search engines, affiliate networks, tracking)

We offer:
• A variety of interesting tasks in a growing company
• Independent decision making and working
• A sound knowledge of a dynamic and future-oriented market
• An active role in the success of the company
• A committed, innovative and expert team
• An excellent working climate with young co-workers

Please send your complete application including desired salary and earliest starting date to christin@iven-hillmann.com.

Berlin Internet-Marketing Agency breaking new ground

Berlin, October 11, 2007 – The Berlin Agency for Online Marketing has acquired five new members of staff and numerous new clients within the last few months. In order to accommodate this expansion they have moved to more suitable and larger premises in Hackescher Markt. This means that they now have plenty of space in which to continue to find new internet marketing solutions. Located directly at Monbijoupark and opposite the Museum Island covering two floors the Search Engine and Affiliate-Marketing experts are remaining loyal to the internet-friendly centre of Berlin Mitte.

Already founded in 2004 in Hackescher Markt, Iven & Hillmann belongs today to the leading online-marketing agencies. Having grown to employ over 20 specialists the Berlin agency offers high-performance concepts for national and international E-Commerce projects. Native speakers from various countries such as the USA, China, Spain, Italy and many other countries from around the world utilise their creative skills to prepare “made to measure” online sales solutions and develop brands quickly and sustainably in the internet. They enable successful multinational web marketing. Clients such TUI.com, Jamba, TUIfly.com, Versatel, and ImmobilienScout24 have put their long-term trust in Iven & Hillmann.

Tui.com takes off – with online marketing by Iven & Hillmann

Berlin, September 01, 2007 – TUI.com, the website of Europe’s leading travel company, has begun its own Affliliate Marketing Programme utilising from the start intelligent solutions from Iven & Hillann. The Berlin agency specialsing in search engine and affiliate marketing places the travel giant’s offers with numerous homepage operaters using TradeDoubler’s network.

Iven & Hillmann offers affiliates a comprehensive serice. Partners have an exceptional incentive for the inclusion of advertising through innovative advertising methods such as interactive booking masks with updated product information and individual adaptable booking parameters. The agency also provides affiliates with a free service hotline.

Why did TUI.com choose Iven & Hillmann

“Iven & Hillmann has already developed affiliate marketing for HLX and subsequently TUIfly.com. This enabled us to become one of the most successful offers with Zanox and TradeDoubler”, explained Stefan Schaub, Managing Director of TUI interactive GmbH, run by TUI.com. “We place our trust in experts who consider themselves, like us, to be market leaders in quality.

Ron Hillmann, Managing Director of Iven & Hillmann GmbH & Co KG, is also enthusiastic about this new challenge. “A partner programme in tourism is exciting! This means that we, as affiliate marketing specialists, are not only responsible for promoting the sale of holidays, flights, hotels or hire cars but also contribute innovative possibilities for brand development and strengthening” he explains.

Online marketing branch creates jobs - not only in Berlin

Berlin, August 02, 2007 – Creative, efficient and looking ahead: an online marketing agency has created jobs in Berlin. In this year alone eight new team members started their career with Iven & Hillmann. The company, named after its founders Arend Lars Iven and Ron Hillmann, specialises in two successful areas – search engine marketing and affiliate marketing in e-commerce. Internet marketing is linked to the distribution aims of large companies giving them the opportunity to promote themselves online.

The simplest way to increase sales

Affiliate marketing is simple. If visitors (customers) discover a banner or advertisement online on any website (affiliate) belonging to an online shop (merchant) one simple click leads them directly to this online shop. If they buy something there this is registered using the appropriate technology and the operator of the website receives commission from the online shop. The online shop, in this case a client of Iven & Hillmann, pays a purely success-based commission to the distribution partner and meets potential customers and interested parties on the websites in which they are interested.

Users seeking certain products and services are reached by search engine marketing. Each month there are more than 5 billion search engine enquiries giving a very important sales potential for the whole online trade. The operators of the large search engines provide various possibilities to appeal to customers and give companies the opportunity to pay for text advertising. The “sponsored links” enable advertising to be located so that it reaches target groups.

Well known large companies such as TUIfly.com, Jamba, ImmobilienScout24 and Versatel have entrusted their online marketing with Iven & Hillmann's team in Berlin.

With only two members of staff in 2004 the company based in Hackescher Markt now has more than 20 employees. “We're continuing to grow” says Arend Lars Iven, founder and managing director of the agency. “This Autumn we will have to change premises for the second time, our office has simply become too small and we cannot allow this to restrict our possibilities”. He and his co-partner Ron Hillmann, prominent in Berlin as an opinion-former and expert in web business, have invested in the promising concepts of other trailblazers such as “Hitflip” (www.hitflip.de/), “Linklift” (www.linklift.de/), “Ecato” (www.ecato.com/de/) or “die-fans.de”(www.die-fans.de/) in addition to their own agency. The enable new start-ups and further employment not only in Germany's capital.

“This year alone we have employed eight new members of staff” says Hillmann. “We ensure that we offer our team long-term opportunities. This includes a company pension scheme.”

Iven & Hillman wins a fashion account in online marketing

Berlin, July 06, 2007 - Look around, order with a click of the mouse and try it on at home in front of your own mirror – that's really convenient shopping. For the Görgens Group the internet is not just the distribution channel of the future, but an increasingly important means of communication. From now on Guter Name GmbH, a company belonging to the Görgens Group, is going to concentrate more on online marketing through its online distibutor guna.de. The company has entrusted its search engine and affiliate marketing to the specialised agency for internet marketing Iven & Hillmann in Berlin.

Founded seven years ago, guna.de and parent company Görgens Group belong, with over 70 shops, to the most successful fashion chains in Germany. The main target group of the company is above all fashion-conscious customers who actively seek brand names such as Bench, Replay, Diesel and G-Star and items that really stand out.

„It is exactly this young customer segment that looks for and buys its goods in the internet“ explains Andre Garber, Key Account Manager with Iven & Hillmann. “We encounter these customers exactly where they are located by using expert search engine marketing (SEM) and a sophisticated affiliate marketing programme with zanox.”

In addition to expansion in stationary trade by opening new branches, the Görgens Group is counting on high rates of growth in internet trade: “We see the virtual marketplace as an area with enormous growth potential”, says Frank Metz, Managing Director of Guter Name GmbH. “We want the trendy young fashion which is on offer in our branches to also be available to internet customers who do not live near our shops, or who want to shop after closing time or shop conveniently from home at the weekend.”

Iven & Hillmann launches SEM and Affiliate Marketing for Questico AG

Berlin, June 25, 2007 - Horoscope and star signs are a real topic for question, as every fifth person believes in astrology. More and more, people want get a better grasp on the esoteric. Two years ago, Questico life advisement debuted with their own broadcast, “Astro TV.” Now, the Berlin company gains strength through their Internet presence and it trusts its new communications to the online marketing agency Iven & Hillmann, which will establish their search engine and affiliate marketing programmes.

With over 2,500 certified advisors, Questico is the largest serious source for telephone life coaching in the German-speaking region, and it holds this position since 1999.

“We would like to speak to our clients’ specific questions, and to let them find us right where they are seeking such advice,” comments Dieter Lang, Managing Director of Questico AG. “On the internet, the search engine machine and affiliate marketing programmes from Iven & Hillmann achieve this goal.”

Measurable Success Facilitates Internet Marketing

Iven & Hillmann offers to an enterprise the opportunity to find a specialised agency with noteworthy customers like TUIfly.com, ImmobilienScout24, buch.de, and Versatel, which, for many significant affiliates, stand for high success markers with sure turnover shares. The online marketing agency Iven & Hillmann calculates business relations according to their success-based accounting model. The success is measurable, and the measures themselves can be precisely planned. The Berlin experts link business’ online marketing with sales goals, steadily employing vast solutions such as banner design, ad text, partner website selection, and click frequencies in order to meet the highest rates of interest to purchase conversions. For affiliate marketing projects, Iven & Hillmann utilises their widely extensive in-house partner-database, on which the credibility and the relevance of website operators are transparent and very clearly categorised. This enables specific and efficient dialogue between affiliates. Straight from the onset, their business network is built upon this relevance and efficiency.

“More than anything other area, people search the Internet for honest dialogues in the life advisement realm,” says Ron Hillmann, Executive Manager of Iven & Hillmann. “We help these people to find what they’re looking for by communicating Questico AG’s services to them.”

Iven & Hillmann introduces a New Affiliate Marketing Concept for buch.de

Berlin, May 16, 2007 - The online marketing Agency, Iven & Hillman, takes on the affiliate marketing for a total of six brands from buch.de internetstores AG. Starting immediately, the Berlin experts agency will position the different online shops’ offers with thousands of homepage operators across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

The concept is unique: with only one registration, an affiliate takes part in the successful partner programme of the well known brands buch.de, buch.ch, bol.de, bol.ch, bol.at, and lion.cc. Through innovative advertising media, up to date product data, and individually applicable deeplinks to their extensive assortment, the Münster-based online book dealers now enable homepage operators to profit from users across three different country-markets. The chances for converting clicks to purchases are considerably higher through this new concept. As a platform for buch.de internetstores AG’s affiliate marketing, Iven & Hillmann uses the worldwide Zanox network, which has more that one million sales partners.

What is the benefit of a Three Country Concept?

“Iven & Hillmann’s Three Country Concept is extremely convincing,” states Markus Grage, buch.de’s Marketing Manager. “In this way it’s possible to combine the strengths of our various online shops in one affiliate marketing partner programme, while simultaneously sharpening and communicating the respective brands’ messages.”

“The advantages are clear for partners of the single buch.de brands,” explains Arend Lars Iven, Executive Director of Iven & Hillmann GmbH & Co. KG.* “Access to the advertising media of the six different brands and their administration become markedly more comfortable through an overlapping programme, and the chance of an improved conversion rates is extremely enhanced.”

Zanox Executive Sales Director, Lothar Krause comments on the collaboration: “With us, buch.de can have interested publishers and other attractive advertisers - as well as product data and extensive reporting - at their disposal. We offer cross-programme tracking as a special highlight. Through such overlapping, publishers receive payoffs, which correspond to the particular countries and programmes.

Advantages of a specialists Agency

Through working together with Iven & Hillmann - and with the subsequent acquisition of partners - clients gain access to a large affiliate databank. Here, the credibility and relevance of website operators are very transparent and clearly categorised. To address the affiliates takes place on a specific and efficient discussion basis. From its conception, the marketing network was based upon this ease, and it was built accordingly. Affiliate marketing is the easiest method for growth within the efficiency of online marketing.

Private University, AKAD, decides upon Iven & Hillmann for their Online Marketing

Berlin, April 27, 2007 - Internet education: Germany’s largest private university recognizes their success with the World Wide Web and will broaden their online marketing activities farther. The university network, which is based in Stuttgart, plans additional search engine marketing campaigns to surpass their current affiliate marketing. From now on, affiliate and search engine marketing specialists Iven & Hillmann will optimize and supervise their SEM dealings, and the agency will build up a specific partner program for their business ventures. The Berlin expert team uses the Zanox.de AG network as a platform for constructing and maintaining such a program.

AKAD University currently offers 8,500 job training programs and continuing education courses, with focal points on science and languages.

Virtual Campus and Lecture Room

The AKAD’s program offers are unimaginable without the Internet. Distance learning students don’t meet their classmates in live seminars, but in a virtual campus where they learn together and can take part in tests from their own desktops. Iven & Hillmann now supports AKAD with expanded online business activities, meeting their interests of high Internet presence and their increasing demands for distance learning and continued education programs on the Web.

“We trust Iven & Hillmann with the upgrading of our online business due to the agency’s experience,” comments Martina Kunrath, AKAB’s Marketing Manager. “The Internet plays a more and more important role in studying at the AKAD. And, it is also an indispensable marketing channel for us.”

“The private university’s decision on Internet business is absolutely logical and very exciting! We are up for the challenge of not only raising the number of distance learning students, but also of simultaneously developing AKAD’s brand with an innovative online advertising format. Above all else, affiliate marketing is a young and promising field,” explained Arend Lars Iven, Executive Director, Iven & Hillmann GmbH & Co. KG.

Iven & Hillmann's Cooperation with Spreadshirt

Berlin, March 15, 2007 - Strong Partnership: Starting now, the Berlin online marketing experts will take on world-wide search engine marketing for the creative apparel platform, Spreadshirt.

Sprd.net AG specializes in innovative online merchandising. For over four years, they have allowed their users to design, buy, and sell clothing. This service is used by web entrepreneurs and hobby-designers across Europe and the USA.

International Merger
Iven & Hillmann's international orientation is a perfect fit for the successful global online marketing of Spreadshirt. The agency's team consists of specialists in search engine and affiliate marketing. Among them are native speakers from more than ten different countries, who have already worked for well-known clients like TUIfly.com, Jamba, and XING. They provide the customization and localization necessary for adapting campaigns to meet specific cultural markets.

buch.de Relaunches their Partner Program with Affiliate Marketing from Iven & Hillmann

Berlin, Februar 27, 2007 - Iven & Hillmann is set to take on the affiliate marketing for buch.de Internet stores, AG. The Muenster-based Internet retailer counts on the expert knowledge of this specialist online marketing agency.

The partner program concept is tested and optimized through collaborations. As one of the leading Internet book and media dealers in the entire German-speaking region, buch.de wants to organize their future multi-national affiliate marketing, and they trust the conception and implementation to Iven & Hillmann. The Berlin online marketing experts will incorporate the Austrian, Swiss and German markets into their planning, and will generate homepage placement across international borders for each of the various online shops. Buch.de's partner program will officially re-launch in 2007's second quarter.

TUIfly.com Takes Off with Affiliate Marketing from Iven & Hillmann

Berlin, February 29, 2007 - The online marketing experts, Iven & Hillmann, take on the planning and realization of TUIfly.com's Europe-wide affiliate marketing. Starting immediately, the Berliners will promote the newly effective merger of HLX and Hapagfly on thousands of homepage operators, using the Zanox and Tradedoubler networks for its implementation.

This affiliate provides Iven & Hillmann with astute service: innovative advertising materials like interactive booking templates with data updates, and individually adaptable booking parameters, (i.e. defining location or trip duration, according to each web site's focus). Furthermore, a free service hotline is available in all major European languages.

This TUI daughter is currently Germany's third largest airline, already serving 75 European destinations. 'Smile-Price' tickets start at 19,99 Euros, including taxes and charges.

Why TUIfly.com soars with Iven & Hillmann?
"With Iven & Hillmann, we address target groups which are virtually inaccessible through classic marketing," states Stefan Schaub, Director of E-commerce for TUIfly.com. "Iven & Hillman had already developed our affiliate marketing with HLX, and we definitely became one of the most successful contenders due to Zanox and Tradedoubler."

"A new brand in air transportation is seldom and exciting! Therefore, we seek affiliate marketing people who will not only promote increased flight sales, but who also contribute to the brand development with innovative formats - a totally new realm for affiliate marketing," clarifies Ron Hillmann, Co-Founder of Iven & Hillmann GmbH & Co. KG

Why an Extra Affiliate Agency?
Because advertisers are unfamiliar with the young discipline of affiliate marketing. And because a success-based payment model is able to calculate per order. Most companies trust a specialist agency which can address their needs, handle the technical and often-creative provisions processes, find the appropriate affiliate network, and - above all else - support the campaign's success. Iven & Hillmann links online marketing with profit goals. Tools like banner design, ad text, assortments of partner websites, display frequency control, and many more are regularly developed. And, they are utilized until the highest conversion rates of interest to sales are met.