ACNIELSEN, YAHOO! LAUNCH MARKETING SERVICE

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. -- ACNielsen here and Yahoo!, Sunnyvale, Calif., a global Internet company, have launched Yahoo! Consumer Direct, a new service that enables consumer packaged goods companies to reach consumers online and directly measure the offline sales impact.

e what they have learned from the Homescan panelists to find groups with similar demonstrated interest trends among Yahoo!'s millions of monthly visitors.

The Consumer Direct team then works with CPG clients to communicate to those consumers via customized online media campaigns, using a range of solutions from Yahoo!'s media and promotion suite. The ACNielsen Homescan panel is used to evaluate the campaigns' return on investment, including the impact on retail sales, brand loyalty, and more.

"Linking online media to offline sales is a strategic imperative for Kraft, and Consumer Direct advances our ability to realize this goal," said Kathy Riordan, vice president, e-commerce, Kraft Foods North America, Northfield, Ill.

Nestle Purina PetCare Co., St. Louis, is pleased with the results it has achieved so far, said Michael Moore, director, Purina Interactive.

"The conventional wisdom has been that the Internet is not an effective marketing tool for consumer packaged goods companies, but Consumer Direct turns that conventional wisdom on its head," he said.