• by Larissa Faw , September 16, 2014

Direct-response media data can be complex and fractured and to help with the analysis, Horizon Media and Mercury Media have signed separate deals with ad tech platform i.Predictus, the DR data analytics specialist. 

Both shops said they are integrating the i.Predictus platform into their respective proprietary data management systems.

"The software allows us to crunch television data in real-time and analyze the impact to phone and web sales within a clearly defined success criteria, in essence bringing the speed of digital automation tools to television," says Gene Turner, EVP, managing partner at Horizon Media.  

“Mercury is constantly seeking new ways to provide the most powerful performance for our client partners,” said Andrew McLean, Mercury Media CEO. “Working with i.Predictus allows us to move toward buying outcomes through predictions of performance based on massive volumes of data.” 

Indeed, i.Predictus's purpose is to streamline the DR analytics process for both agencies and brands by attributing data to its original, transactional source.

According to Horizon, the integration of i.Predictus technology to its suite of proprietary tools gives the agency’s media buyers insight into lead-in and lead-out performance details, proximity filters by creative format, retail attribution and many other near-real-time features designed to accelerate visibility, speed and scale. 

At the same time, the technology provides information about past buys in a predictive, fast, and digestible format that enables agency direct marketing strategists to assess and plan evolution, enhancing optimization. The agreement allows for unique customization, but is not exclusive to any agency.

"As an early adapter, Horizon will have an opportunity to create proprietary reporting and specialized training," says Monica Smith, founder/CEO of i.Predictus. "In addition, they will be a step ahead of other competitors because they have been following the development of the platform from early concept, to the minimum viable product and through to the release of 2.0." 

“i.Predictus exists for one reason -- to unlock the ROI trapped in revenue leakage in our industry and to help brands grow," added Smith. "By bringing unprecedented visibility and accuracy to the data needed to make multimillion-dollar bottom line media decisions, we're proud to align with Mercury Media to accelerate their clients’ growth.”  

According to Turner, the iPredictus platform will help agencies and brands achieve better transparency in advertising. "We welcome and embrace analytics as the yardstick that gives our clients proof-positive information reflecting that our programs are truly effective and are committed to identifying new technologies that can help us understand the effectiveness of media within channel and cross-channel," he said. 

Using its patent-pending algorithm, i.Predictus recommends where clients' media dollars should be spent, even the specific television airings to be purchased or not purchased, in order to continuously improve media ROI. The company claims that i.Predictus clients to date have experienced an average lift in ROI of 30% following implementation of the platform.

Horizon has developed a rollout plan that will allow the agency to immediately expand this program in Q4 to traditional DRTV clients and have a testing program in place for rollout to its broader set of clients within its direct marketing practice that will extend into 2015.