Internet users in pursuit of the latest breaking news or their favorite TV shows are rarely distracted by small advertisements on the side of the screen.  They are focused on their final web destination, and it is difficult to tempt them to stray from that path for more than a few moments.

That is why start-up Adkeeper has created software that allows users to store ads they find interesting and view them at a more convenient time.

The principle inspiring this software is one on which Search Engine Marketing (SEM) has always capitalized.  Search engine marketing is highly relevant, targeted and cost-efficient. In particular, Pay-Per-Click advertising is highly effective. Users who are actually searching for a particular product, service, or information are much more likely to click on a relevant advertisement. Direct marketing allows businesses to reach consumers at their computers by generating ads related to these searches. Almost 2 billion searches are done—each day—through search engines such as Google, Bing, and Baidu.

Adkeeper aims to attract consumers with a similar information-seeking goal, but it begins earlier in the process.  Initially users see ads without searching for them.  If they think those ads might be relevant at some point in the future but don’t have time to view the ad immediately, they can store the ad in an online trapper keeper.  Later, when the user has more time or interest, he goes through his trapper keeper and searches for relevant ads.  As with search engine marketing, this viewer is viewing information which he has deemed relevant, and he is more likely to click on the ad.  

Major national corporations have already signed on.  AdKeeper’s clientele includes such companies as  Macy’s, Kraft Foods, Gap, McDonald’s, Pepsi, Warner Bros., Allstate, AT&T, Best Buy, CBS, Ford, General Mills…  it’s a long list.  What potential do these clients foresee?

Here’s how it works:  A user is browsing a theater website for movie times; he wants to catch the next showing of that hot new flick.  An ad for discounted basketball tickets is on the theater’s home page, but he doesn’t have time to pursue it now because the show starts in 15 minutes. So he clicks a “keep” button on the corner of the ad, and it is stored in his “AdKeeper.”  After the movie, he comes back to his keeper and buys those discounted tickets. Bad timing didn’t spoil the ad’s impact.

AdKeeper developers believe that people will be more likely to “keep” an ad than to click it, even though it’s essentially the same process.  The major difference is that “keeping” it requires follow-up.

AdKeeper’s customizable features certainly provide a new way for users to sort, critique, and compare ads (see demo features). But will it be a savvy marketing tool, or a trendy toy?  No one will be able to provide a definite answer to that question until early next year when AdKeeper becomes widely available.