DoubleClick to buy Performics for $58 million in cash

Advertising and marketing company DoubleClick Inc. will get into the search and affiliate marketing businesses with its acquisition of affiliate and search marketing company Performics Inc., the companies announced today. The agreement represents a cash transaction valued at $58 million, plus an earn-out of up to $7million. The deal is expected to close by mid-June.

"Our marketing and agency clients have been telling us they want to work with DoubleClick to build and buy search through our media planning tools," says DoubleClick CEO Kevin Ryan. "Performics is already used by many of our clients for their search engine and affiliate marketing needs. Affiliate marketing is a natural complement to search for performance-based customer acquisition." Eleven of Performics’s top 15 customers are also DoubleClick customers.

When the transaction is completed, a newly branded product, DART Search, will be available for integration with DoubleClick’s online ad-serving platform, DART for Advertisers. The integration will expand tracking capabilities within the DART system and allow marketers to measure the performance of their entire online spend, including keywords, banners and rich media, in one location, according to DoubleClick. DART search will also overlap DoubleClick’s analytics solution, SiteAdvance, which measures web site performance and traffic and conversion metrics of outbound online marketing campaigns.

In addition, the deal will give current Performics customers access to DoubleClick’s range of performance-based marketing solutions, including online ad management, e-mail and web site analytics, according to DoubleClick.