• by Wayne Friedman , December 14, 2009

Looking to broaden its efforts that analyze media consumption and purchase behavior, Nielsen has struck a deal with Catalina Marketing.

Catalina Marketing, which has a strong focus on consumer-driven print research efforts through its print ad network, will form a joint venture with Nielsen Co., melding Nielsen's media data with Catalina's shopper information.

The company says it will create the industry's first TV return-on-investment measurement service using data from Nielsen's National People Meter TV panel. The effort is intended to understand the effectiveness of media campaigns in driving actual consumer buying behavior.

The group, to be called Nielsen Catalina Ventures, will integrate information from Nielsen's industry-leading TV, Internet and household purchase panels, with purchase data from more than 50 million shoppers from a cross-section of retailers in Catalina Marketing's network.

Nielsen Catalina, which will start up in the first six months of 2010, will be integrated into Nielsen's existing Homescan product. The Homescan purchase panel matches media consumption with purchase behavior. The company says the venture will analyze far more brand campaigns than is presently done.

"As consumers become more sophisticated and media platforms continue to fragment, advertisers must be able to build more precise and measurable media plans," stated David Calhoun, chairman/CEO, The Nielsen Company. "The only way to get there is with faster, deeper information."

Mike Nazzaro, who has been named CEO of Nielsen Catalina Ventures, says: "We believe that marketers who use this approach will realize a significant improvement in marketing effectiveness and efficiency relative to current performance."

Catalina Marketing runs a print network operation, Pointer Media Network, where marketers, media agencies and retailers can access a database of 250 million weekly shopping transactions.