Advertisers Now Benefit from Hyper-Targeting Capabilities Offering Metro-Area HopStop Consumers Localized Promotions of Immediate Interest

 NEW YORK-- Ringleader Digital, the only third-party ad serving network for mobile devices, today announced that HopStop has selected Ringleader to serve ads over its mobile Web site. Ringleader’s third-party ad serving platform enables HopStop advertisers to hyper-target advertisements via user location without the need for gathering GPS data from mobile carriers. As a result, the success potential for mobile advertising campaigns on HopStop increases by ensuring ads and correlating promotional campaigns are delivered to users when and where they are most likely to benefit from them.

HopStop.com offers consumers door-to-door directions via public transportation systems and other forms of urban navigation in several major metropolitan areas. The company serves 1.7 million visits, 10 million pageviews and 30 million ad impressions per month.

With a highly successful online presence, the company required a mobile advertising partner that enabled advertisers to take advantage of the unique location-oriented inventory quickly and effectively. Now, through Ringleader’s platform, mobile advertisements on HopStop can either relate to the physical address of the user based on voluntarily inputted information, or on the nature of the place (e.g., restaurants, shops, museums, etc.) the user searches for. And, the location-based advertising is possible without requiring HopStop to pull GPS data down from the wireless carriers—easing the complexity and increasing the speed of mobile ad serving.

“Ringleader Digital is the right partner for local advertising,” said Chinedu Echeruo, CEO of HopStop. “Ringleader’s advertising platform is able to first take the location data, then quickly identify and serve ads that can be for establishments along the user’s route or right next door to his destination. This creates a whole new level of relevancy for ad targeting, with a level of granularity the market hasn’t seen before.”

Ad campaigns utilizing this type of location-based targeting can include a variety of marketing possibilities. For example, advertisers can daypart offers (i.e., breakfast coupons for the nearest coffee shop), drive special promotions for area mobile users, or select categorical restrictions. Advertisers can even target users based on the city block they’re traversing. These and other targeting capabilities offered via Ringleader Digital create a hyper-local clarity that drives a greater return on investment.

“We expect that location-based services on the phone will bring a new dimension to digital marketing,” said Jeremy Lockhorn, Director of Emerging Media for Avenue A | Razorfish. “Physical location becomes a targeting variable that we can leverage much like other behavioral and contextual inputs. However, the industry as a whole must continue to respect privacy and exercise a level of restraint. The consumer comes first, period.”

The Ringleader Digital and HopStop relationship also helps brands increase their customer loyalty by not flooding the user’s mobile inbox, a practice that can increase a user’s mobile service bill. Ringleader Digital’s platform ensures that advertisements served are accurately displayed in a single SMS message to the user, eliminating the risk of ad data overflowing into a second message.

“Working with HopStop illustrates how Ringleader Digital can complement the power of online publisher sites in the mobile environment,” said Bob Walczak, CEO of Ringleader Digital. “Together, we’re creating a valuable option for advertisers looking for location-based targeting features. As the mobile advertising industry continues to grow, it’s becoming more valuable to be able to target based on consumer location and interests while still ensuring ad relevancy. Our model is able to do that.”

For more information on how to advertise on HopStop’s mobile site, please contact Lilia Kunin at Ringleader Digital at +1.212.947.9800 x2312 or

About HopStop

HopStop.com (www.HopStop.com) operates in the navigational and local search industry and is defining a new sector: Urban Navigation. The Company's technology provides door-to-door directions to city residents and tourists via public transportation systems. HopStop does for subway and bus riders, what Mapquest does for drivers. The Company's services are currently available in New York City, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington D.C. metropolitan areas.

HopStop was named one of TIME magazine's 50 Coolest Websites of 2006 and was also named Travel + Leisure's Top 25 Travel Websites of 2007.

About Ringleader Digital

As the next-generation mobile advertising network, Ringleader Digital brings the online advertising experience to mobile—fulfilling the potential and promise of the mobile Web. Ringleader’s device-agnostic network is the only third-party mobile ad service, and is the first to specifically target ads by device functionality. Ringleader simplifies advertising transactions and delivery by providing brands and publishers the ability to seamlessly and simultaneously distribute ad campaigns across any mobile digital platform. With this unprecedented control, publishers maximize the revenue potential for ad campaigns while brands and advertisers can finally track and audit every element of a campaign’s effectiveness. Ringleader is based in New York City. For more information please visit www.ringleaderdigital.com.