PrecisionMatch, a solution for developing and monetizing publisher side audience data, allowing both publishers and advertisers to keep a better track of audience affinity and intent while targeting them, was unveiled at MediaNama’s #NAMA conference, as a part of the #alpha product showcase. Part of a JV between Manish Vij’s Vun and Harish Bahl’s Smile Group, and lead by Nitin Chowdhary, PrecisionMatch offers a channel for publishers to analyze, categorize and monetize audience data, while advertisers can use it for optimising performance of display campaigns. The company claims that the data will be screen agnostic.
According to the company,the old ad targeting model, focuses more on context, which might not always result in accurate targeting, for example, people watching sports channels might not always be the ones to buy sports drinks. It added that, advertising based on social targeting, is limited by the user’s social reach, though search advertising was still better at predicting user intent since it’s based on what the user demands.
PrecisionMatch claims to enable targeting based on audience instead of context, focusing on collecting data related to their demographic and behavioral profiles and cues that translate into an intent to purchase. It uses both first party and third party data, and allows advertisers to create personalised creatives and landing pages based on audience data.
At launch, Precision Match claims to already offers data from 60% of users in India, Singapore and UAE, which accounts to more than 50 million impressions. At launch, Precision Match has clients like Samsung, GM, Ford, Tata Motors, Snapdeal, Expedia among others.
How it collects data: It collects data from price comparison sites, meta-search engines, discount coupon and deals sites, in addition to first party data across categories such as telecom, mobile handsets, automobile, e-commerce, among others. When users visit price comparison, and product comparison sites, PrecisionMatch drops a cookie and collects anonymised data, which is used to offer targeted ads on sites using the service. It first identifies web assets which can be used to track data, then aggregates audience data on its Data Management Platform capturing aggregate, segment level information, and then makes data available to advertisers without revealing the name of the publisher. No personally identifiable data is collected – it doesn’t collect email address, names, age, address or telephone number. Adobe is the Technology partner for the company and PrecisionMatch currently uses the Adobe Audience Manager data management platform.
How the system works for advertisers & publishers: PrecisionMatch claims that advertisers can reduce risks with its CPC (Cost Per Click) pricing model, and can measure engagement and other data, by using landing pages.
For publishers, the solution claims to enable them to earn incremental revenue, as they can monetize based on audience data, on behavioral, intent or demographic patterns collected through their site, acting as additional revenue beyond their own inventory. Publishers can also use data to get insights into their target audience and for retargeting. In its pilot roll-out, the company claims that its platform generated 3x improvement in click through rates and 2x improvement in post click engagement.
Monetization: PrecisionMatch will monetise data through its relationship with agency trading desks and DSPs (demand side platforms) which use data to offer better targeted display ads, affiliate marketing platforms and ad networks. They’ll be able to buy data at a fixed CPM pricing and run campaigns. These agencies will then pay PrecisionMatch for the data. The company will also monetize data by selling it through data marketplaces
For publishers, the service will offer a 50:50 revenue sharing arrangement from accrued net of media and technology costs, and claims that it will offer eCPMs (cost per thousand) as high as $0.30 per impression served against a publisher’s audience.
Funding: SVG Media has funded $2 million in the company and it expects PrecisionMatch to break even in the next two years. The company said that it has not raised any additional funding for this, but it is using the capital left from previous fundings and money generated from internal accruals.
PrecisionMatch claims to be the only focused 3rd party data aggregator in India, with only Google and Facebook being indirect competitors in the Indian market. eXelate and BlueKai offer similar solutions in the international market.
Vikas SN also contributed to this post
