I-COM worldmeasurementnews

tracx Raises $4.4m to Expand Social Media Platform

mrweb.com reports: In the US, social media analytics specialist tracx has received $4.4m in Series B funding, which it will use to fuel growth and international expansion. At the same time, the firm has launched a system to enable users to identify and manage their audience profiling and segmentation.

Commenting on the launch of the platform, CEO Eran Gilad [pictured] said: ‘We believe that marketing professionals can utilize tracx to extract the richest and most accurate data needed to build effective, targeted strategies that generate the highest return on investment.’ More…

In US, eXelate Launches maX Data: Adaptive Audience Segment, Custom Built on Campaign-by-Campaign Basis

Proprietary modeling algorithms and massive data cloud of unique signals combine to deliver 3x-5x performance lift for clients

New York, NY (February 13, 2012) – eXelate, the leading data and analytics engine powering optimal digital marketing decisions, today announced the launch of maX (modeled audience eXtension) data™, a dynamic audience intelligence product which leverages first-party data and insights to accelerate digital marketing campaigns. maX data™ combines the power of unique, proprietary first-party data with the massive scale of third-party data to deliver 3x – 5x better campaign results than traditional data and contextual targeting.

“Data has been the media buyer’s best friend for years, but as they become more data conversant, they’re no longer satisfied with pre-constructed audience segments. Marketers want original, proactive campaign plans that incorporate dynamic audience targets. eXelate’s maX Data™ delivers adaptive audience segments proven to increase campaign performance. We’re enabling media buyers to maximize ad spend, stop wasting impressions and target custom audiences that drive results,” explained Damian Garbaccio [pictured], Chief Revenue Officer of eXelate. More…

In US, eXelate Moves To Support CPGs With ZIP+4 Ad Targeting

Laurie Sullivan, writer and editor at Media Post writes: ZIP+4 ad targeting gives advertisers the ability to pull in offline data based on ZIP codes plus the four-digit number that follows, narrowing down a user's geographic location.

For those wondering how it works: companies that match data to their ZIP+4 data, which identifies multiple households in a specific neighborhood like a city block or a group of apartments, can match offline purchase activity in grocery stores, for example, to online browsing to more closely target ads.  That's about as close as brands can get today, said eXelate CEO Mark Zagorski [pictured].  More...

In US, TRA Inc. Awarded New Patent For Television Advertising Targeting

New York, NY - February 9, 2012 - TRA Inc., a leading media marketing and analytics software company, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued on February 7, 2012 the company’s fourth patent, entitled, “Using Consumer Purchase Behavior For Television Targeting” (U.S. Patent No. 8,112,301).  Affirming the validity of TRA’s unique system for matching television viewership and consumer purchase behavior for targeting television advertising, the Patent Office also approved claims covering a number of future integrations of various data sources.

“No other company has the ability to use Big Data to target television programming as accurately as TRA, and the newest member of our patent family confirms our leadership and commitment to innovation,” said Mark Lieberman [pictured], CEO and co-founder, TRA, Inc. “We are very pleased that the patent was issued after a thorough and comprehensive review by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office which included all recently cited prior art.”   Download the full report..

Google Search Plus Your World: Monitoring Your Reputation Just Became Even More Important

Janet Driscoll Miller [pictured], President and CEO of Search Mojo writes for MediaPost: GSPYW offers both opportunities and challenges to search marketers.  While you may not have monitored your brand closely on Twitter or Facebook, they haven’t had the immediate impact on search results to date that Google+ has.

Just doing brand searches on Google won’t be enough; you have to see inside the social circles to understand what is being said about your brand that “may” rank for your brand keywords. More...

Why Social Audience Measurement Hasn't Yet Delivered

Michael Hussey [pictured], CEO of PeekYou writes at MediaPost: Social Audience Measurement was heralded as the next big shiny thing for marketers, promising rivers of psychographic and demographic data and close interaction with consumers. But it hasn’t really delivered, and the actual execution of leveraging social data has been somewhat disappointing. More...

In US, New Turn Audience Platform Winter 2012 Release Includes Enhanced Analysis & Forecasting Tools

REDWOOD CITY, CA –February 1, 2012 – Turn today introduced an upgrade to its cloud-based Turn Audience Platform, which gives marketers the most complete picture of their customer segments. The Winter 2012 release provides better control over allocation of budget and the design of custom audience segments, as well as greater customer reach.

“Today’s consumers are engaging with brands across a variety of devices and channels, generating siloed pockets of valuable information from those interactions. The Winter 2012 enhancements to Turn Audience Platform enable marketers to break down these silos and get a more complete picture of their customers across multiple media channels. Marketers can use real-time insights to build stronger, more profitable customer relationships,” said Bill Demas [pictured], president and chief executive officer, Turn. More…

The Evolution of Online-User Data

bcg.perspectives: Over the past five years, we have seen the development of a robust secondary market allowing the buying and selling of user profiles.

Ad networks and agencies leverage user data to more effectively target ads in hopes of improving click-through rates, that is, how often a user clicks on an advertisement.

The purchase of advertising inventory is shifting from networks to real-time bidding on ad exchanges. Advertisers are increasingly incorporating user data to target the ads traded on these exchanges.  More...

In US, TRA & Experian Launch “Media TRAnalytics® TV Auto Ratings”

For the First Time, Auto Brand and Category Ratings Provide Industry-Leading TV Advertising Solution for the Automotive Category

New York, NY and Schaumburg, IL., - January 26, 2012 - TRA Inc., a leading media marketing and analytics software company and Experian Automotive, a leader in providing information services and market intelligence to the automotive industry, today announced the launch of TRA’s “Media TRAnalytics® TV Auto Ratings”, a patented software solution enabling advertisers to accurately target the networks and programs that best reach desired consumers by automatically matching automotive registration data with television tuning data at the household level. Through this relationship, the web-based service creates proprietary ratings for specific automotive brands and categories, dramatically improving the precision and accountability of the media buying process.

“Now, for the first time, the automotive industry is enabled to focus their television advertising dollars, providing far greater return on investment than ever before,” said Mark Lieberman [pictured], CEO of TRA, Inc. “At the same time, television networks can go to market and sell against the most accurate value propositions available today. By placing advertisements on the right networks within the right programs, we are establishing a new standard for targeting, measurement and accountability in the automotive category.”

“We are excited to work with TRA to launch a product that will provide our automotive clients’ greater insight of their customers on a household level,” said Scott Waldron, president of Experian Automotive. “Having this information helps them in having a better understanding of the market, the vehicles, and the people who buy them.”  Download full report

In US, Bluefin Labs Raises $12 Million in Series B Round

Time Warner Investments Leads Round with Participation from SoftBank Capital, Redpoint Ventures and Lerer Ventures

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.January 24, 2012--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Social TV analytics company Bluefin Labs today announced it has raised $12 million in a Series B round led by Time Warner Investments with participation from new investor SoftBank Capital and return investors Redpoint Ventures and Lerer Ventures.

“We are witnessing a huge shift in consumer behavior, as people now naturally turn to social media to voice their opinions about what they are watching on television. Our technology allows us to therefore provide deep insights into consumer mindsets,” said Deb Roy [pictured], co-founder and CEO, Bluefin Labs. “We are continuing to build out Bluefin’s services to provide enhanced data which enables our clients to glean more of an understanding of their audiences and target consumers.”  More...