comScore Adds Data from Inscape to Gauge Ad Impact

ComScore said it made a deal giving it access to smart TV data from Vizio’s Inscape unit that will help its clients better measure the impact of their advertising campaigns across platforms.

comScore is emerging from a three year period where it was preoccupied by a re-audit after accounting issues were discovered in its financial statements. The company spent millions getting its books back in order, lost a number of senior executives and product launches were delayed.

Related: Data Drives TV Measurement’s Next Generation

Last month, comScore said it lined up a group of networks, Hulu and media buyer GroupM, an investor in comScore, to test a new product, comScore Campaign Ratings, which aims to measure unduplicated viewing of ads across TV, over-the-top, desktop video and mobile video.

comScore said it will be using the Inscape data to bolster ad effectiveness studies.

“Media fragmentation continues to be a challenge for marketers who are seeking ways to optimize their media investment against the activities and channels that drive the most business impact,” said Cathy Hetzel, executive VP, commercial, at comScore. “Given the growth of smart TV viewership, we understand the importance of this partnership in our aim to deliver clients the sophisticated measurement solutions they need to grow their businesses.”

For Inscape, comScore becomes the latest measurement and analytics company to buy its viewing data, which comes from about 9 million smart TVs via automated content recognition technology.

Last month LiveRamp added Inscape data to help target multiscreen ad campaigns and VideoAmp added Inscape’s TV viewership and ad exposure data to go with the set-top box data its been using.

“As a leader in both TV and digital media measurement, comScore understands the seismic changes that are taking place as audiences move across platforms,” said Jodie McAfee, senior VP of sales and marketing at Inscape. “We’re excited to augment their existing linear, on-demand, and OTT data with our opt-in ACR viewing data to power their custom marketing solutions.”

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.