NetZero Forms Alliance With NFO Worldwide

NetZero Inc. in Westlake Village, which operates an advertising-financed Internet service, has formed an alliance with NFO Worldwide, the largest custom marketing research firm in North America.

The agreement is among NetZero’s CyberTarget division, NFO and its affiliate, InsightExpress. Officials said the alliance would allow NFO and InsightExpress to provide clients with data collection and analysis about consumer opinions and habits online, while serving as an endorsement of CyberTarget’s targeting capabilities.

The agreement will give NFO and InsightExpress clients access to household and individual samples drawn from NetZero’s more than 5.7 million members, with targeting capabilities based upon demographics and/or Internet usage. For example, NFO and InsightExpress clients will be able to survey individuals who frequently shop their competitors’ Web sites.

“Our goal is to give our clients a more in-depth understanding of their customers, and those of their competitors, and help them define marketing strategies that will maximize their competitive advantage,” said Randy Smith, president and chief operating officer of NFO. “In partnering with NetZero’s CyberTarget unit, we can provide our clients with some of the most sophisticated targeting capabilities in the industry.”

NetZero offers consumers free access to the Internet, free e-mail and personalized navigation tools that provide “speed dial” to key sites on the Internet.