• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, March 9, 2012

Mobile ad and analytics firm Flurry has launched a new platform for running targeted advertising within apps. The company says its new AppSpot offering draws on its four years work on app analytics to be able to reach specific audiences at scale easily across different devices and mobile operating systems.

“As an example, let's say Nike wants to advertise to 18-to-24 year-old active females for a new shoe they're launching,” wrote Peter Farago, VP, marketing at Flurry, in a post announcing the new platform. “Their ad agency, Wieden + Kennedy, wants to make easy ad buys, targeting that audience, across all possible mobile apps.” The agency could use AppSpot for that type of campaign.

Spanning more than 160,000 apps across 500 million devices, the new platform will provides services including ad-serving, network optimization and assisted media sales at launch.

Flurry recently published data indicating mobile attracts only 1% of spending compared to other media including TV, online, radio and print, even though consumers (who use apps) are spending 23% of their time with apps. Farago suggests AppSpot could help close that gap with better ad targeting regardless of device.

The company’s existing AppCircle platform helps developers promote their apps in other apps. Last fall, it added a new feature that lets developers retarget ads to iOS device users who have previously downloaded one of their apps. It says 60,000 companies are using that system.

Separately, Flurry said it will announce the top three winners of its App Spotlight Awards contest at the SXSW conference over the weekend. The winning developers will each be feted with their own launch parties at the Downtown Austin Hilton Hotel. The 700 entries were evaluated based on criteria including "market potential and business scalability."