• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, June 26, 2010

As Procter & Gamble lookz for more insight into how a shopper makes a decision, Interpublic said its Mediabrands unit would launch a separate agency focusing on such analysis. ShelfLIFE will also serve as an info hub for other agencies, such as UM and Initiative.

The shop will be headed by John Ross, who has been leading the IPG Emerging Media Lab. He will report to Matt Freeman, CEO of Mediabrands Ventures.

ShelfLIFE will work in concert with the Lab, Mediabrands said, and "have the ability to pinpoint the media sources that move a shopper from indecision to decision, evaluating the barriers to purchase at different points within the purchase cycle."

With the emergence of place-based networks run by Wal-Mart and others, there are more factors that can prompt a consumer to buy. The rise of mobile marketing -- perhaps reaching people at the point of purchase -- and the potential decline of direct mail and newspaper couponing are among them.

"Where most shopper agencies focus on the tactics at the tail-end of the shopping process, like shelf tags, packaging and POP, the new agency will look at the shopping process end-to-end," Ross stated.

"Marketers need to understood what influences shoppers' decisions as they step through from undecided to decided," he noted. "They need to see how traditional advertising, digital and emerging media and the physical store itself all interact to influence shopper choice."