Nielsen acquires data service Exelate
In years past, the Nielsen box was a fixture in some homes and the surest way for networks, advertisers and media companies to evaluate the viewership of popular programming. Today, however, more Americans consume media through streaming sources, on-demand platforms and other methods. As a result, companies like Nielsen have had to rethink their approach to assessing the value of TV programming, which requires new and flexible data.
Mergers and acquisitions can be the solution for companies in changing industries, and this week Nielsen announced it has acquired Exelate, a company that specializes in data solutions to facilitate advertising. This fits naturally within Nielsen's long record of data collection for advertisers in media spaces, according to TV News Check.
"This acquisition creates a tremendous opportunity for Nielsen in the programmatic media ecosystem," said Steve Hasker, global president of Nielsen. "Adding Exelate's solutions to the Nielsen family furthers our ability to help marketers improve the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns and to help media companies better sell their content."
Exelate uses data from 200 online and offline providers to gauge consumer interactions with media. This includes the intent of consumers, which is valuable to marketing products and services. Understanding consumer behavior has led to the rise of machine-learning marketing platforms, which get to know consumers' habits, preferences and unique buying behaviors. Exelate also focuses on demographic trends, a longtime focus of Nielsen's business model.
As industries diversify their offerings to consumers, methods of evaluating the reach and effect of advertising on consumers has become even more important. For a company like Nielsen, moving into the next phase of service requires a dynamic approach that a good acquisition strategy can help provide.