Our parent company WPP has entered into an exciting partnership with web analytics specialist Omniture. In the future this will mean opportunities for our clients to leverage Omniture technology (like their flagship analytics tool Site Catalyst) as well as integration with our other key technology tools like Decide DNA.
I’ll be attending the Omniture Summit in Salt Lake in a few weeks as we begin to discuss next steps for us here at GroupM, in the mean time here is the press release:
WPP and Omniture launch partnership to improve marketing ROI
29 January, 2009
DAVOS, Switzerland — WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY), the world leader in communications services and Omniture, Inc. (NASDAQ: OMTR), the leading provider of online business optimization, today announced a strategic partnership that will provide clients with more-effective insights globally across both digital and traditional media channels. As part of this partnership, WPP is making a long-term $25 million investment in Omniture common stock.
The two companies will collaborate on technology development, on sharing data and information and in consulting services. The collaboration will focus on providing chief marketing officers and other marketing executives at clients, with greater consumer insights, supported by new technology. This will allow marketers to increase their revenue and profit returns from online marketing and to manage and optimize their overall marketing expenditures.
WPP companies involved in this partnership include G2, OgilvyOne, RMG, Wunderman, Enfatico, specialist agencies Schematic, VML and ZAAZ, Group M, 24/7 Real Media, Kantar and Bridge Worldwide.
Key elements of the strategic partnership include:
• Joint approaches to mutual clients to develop enhanced analytical solutions
• Joint development of technologies and solutions, including the integration of Omniture and WPP technologies, data and products
• Sharing of marketing insights and consulting best practices
• Deployment of Omniture consultants inside WPP companies
• Training of more than 500 WPP employees on Omniture products and solutions, within the first year of the relationshipSpecifically, WPP and Omniture have agreed over the next 12-18 months to integrate many of WPP’s marketing technologies, data, insights and information products into the Omniture Genesis platform. These integrations will include:
• Open AdStream (24/7 Real Media’s advertising management system)
• Decide DNA (24/7 Real Media and GroupM’s search engine marketing systems)
• 24/7 Real Media and GroupM’s custom media audience network
• TNS Compete™ (competitive web benchmarking data)
• TNS Stradegy™ (multimedia channel advertising occurrence and expenditure data)“In the current economic environment and as clients continue to experiment with and develop their online budgets, the need for better analysis, measurability and focus on return on investment is more important than ever,” said Sir Martin Sorrell, Group Chief Executive, WPP. “This partnership will help our many mutual clients meet these objectives by equipping WPP agencies – across all geographies and disciplines – with the capabilities and tools needed to customize and deploy Omniture solutions in the most efficient and effective ways.”
“The partnership is a reflection of WPP and Omniture’s shared commitment to providing actionable, media-channel agnostic recommendations – informed by data and supported by technology – to the world’s largest brand owners,” said Mark Read, Director of Strategy, WPP, and CEO, WPP Digital. “It continues WPP’s and Omniture’s strategy of partnering with and integrating proprietary information and technologies with third-party platforms, for the maximum benefit of our clients.”
“We have consistently said that the limiting factor for marketing executives to fully realize the benefits of digital marketing and the corresponding measurability and accountability it brings, is the lack of available online marketing consulting and best practices,” said Josh James, CEO and co-founder, Omniture. “WPP’s aggressive investment in this critical area is a testament to their thought leadership.”
James continued, “The industry, and particularly WPP’s customers, will benefit tremendously from having 500 people from the world’s largest, most connected digital agencies thoroughly trained on the Omniture suite of products. This partnership will provide clients with the best of both worlds – technology and expertise – to optimize their marketing and drive ROI.”
