Exponential Interactive and MasterCard Partner to Reach Online Audience Segments Based on Retailer-Level Anonymized Spending Data

EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Exponential Interactive, a global provider of advertising intelligence and digital media solutions to brand advertisers, has partnered with MasterCard Advisors, the professional services arm of MasterCard, to incorporate retail-level, anonymized consumer spending behaviors into its online audience targeting services.

“We’re looking forward to working with Exponential to offer their US advertising partners customized audience segments. Exponential has a strong client list, an experienced audience team, and insights analysts who will help brands maximize results from their campaigns.”

The partnership enables Exponential’s advertiser clients to reach audiences online based on their likely spending patterns at retailers across the US, by incorporating MasterCard’s retail data into its e-X Advertising Intelligence Platform.

Advertisers need to reach audiences based on their propensity to spend at specific types of retail stores which requires advertisers to have access to both the audience’s spending data and to an intelligent delivery platform. The Exponential-MasterCard partnership delivers such an end-to-end solution to advertisers by combining retail spending data from MasterCard with the analytics processing tool of the e-X Advertising Intelligence Platform. For example, with this partnership certain advertisers could reach consumer segments that are likely to visit a pizza restaurant more than twice a month, or segments that shop at high-end clothing stores. All data at this segment level is completely anonymized.

MasterCard currently has 8.7 million acceptance locations and 310 million cards in the U.S., resulting in over 25 billion transactions a year. The data from these transactions allows segments of custom audiences to be identified, based on spending preferences. These can then be correlated with Exponential’s own online interest and intention data. The e-X platform processes over two billion anonymous online interest and intention events each day, and reaches more than 450 million unique users worldwide every month.

“As consumers spend more time consuming media on digital devices, one of the challenges for the advertising industry has been to connect offline spending habits with online media consumption to enable campaigns that recognize people not just as ‘online audiences,’ but as ‘audiences online.’ In their strategy and execution, marketers must understand how customers switch freely between online and offline ‘channels,’ and take into account the whole picture,” says Dilip DaSilva, president and CEO of Exponential. “This new ability to leverage insights learned from offline behavior in order to better understand online behavior will benefit both customers and advertisers alike. MasterCard is the best partner we could hope for in helping us to enable that shift.”

Susan Grossman, senior vice president, media solutions at MasterCard Advisors, said: “We’re looking forward to working with Exponential to offer their US advertising partners customized audience segments. Exponential has a strong client list, an experienced audience team, and insights analysts who will help brands maximize results from their campaigns.”

Exponential is primarily offering this solution through its global display advertising provider Tribal Fusion but it will also be available through its other audience engagement divisions - video engagement platform Firefly Video and in-stream video advertising specialist AdoTube.

Exponential Interactive (www.exponential.com) is a global provider of advertising intelligence and digital media solutions to brand advertisers.

Its e-X Advertising Intelligence Platform combines world-class data and technology to help brands find and reach their prospective customers and connect with them using highly engaging creative messaging that is delivered across display, video and mobile, on a global scale.

The company's audience engagement divisions include display advertising provider Tribal Fusion, brand engagement platform Firefly Video, in-stream video advertising specialist AdoTube, and in-app mobile advertising provider Appsnack.

Exponential is headquartered in Emeryville, California and offers its solutions to brand advertisers in 26 countries worldwide.

About MasterCard Advisors

As the professional services arm of MasterCard Worldwide, MasterCard Advisors is uniquely qualified to provide clients with insights and solutions that drive tangible impact and financial gain. MasterCard Advisors provides payments consulting, information, analytics, and customized services that deliver value to its customers. In doing so, the company uses information to create products and services in which privacy and security are fundamental to their design. A technology company that is an electronic payments leader, MasterCard is committed to the responsible use of information and pledges strong privacy protection for the transaction data the company processes. Its information management practices support the company’s mission to make payments safe, simple and smart. For more information, go to www.mastercardadvisors.com

About MasterCard

MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a global payments and technology company. It operates the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Cashless Conversations Blog and subscribe for the latest news.