Yahoo adds a Dapper touch to online ads with acquisition of startup’s targeting technology

Yahoo spruces up its online ads with Dapper deal

SAN FRANCISCO — Yahoo is trying to spruce up its online advertising service by buying a startup called Dapper.

Dapper, started four years ago, offers tools that help advertisers create Internet campaigns that connect with the people most likely to be interested in their products or services.

Like many other Internet companies, Yahoo Inc. has been trying to target Internet ads by keeping tabs on what types of material individuals tend to click on.

Yahoo needs every competitive edge it can get these days. The company’s financial performance has disappointed investors for years. The challenges are mounting as advertisers shift more of their budgets into Google and more fashionable online hangouts such as Facebook.

Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed Tuesday. The Dapper acquisition is expected to close before the year ends.