After each making an acquisition, researchers comScore Networks and CMR are further strengthening their ties amid continued upheaval in the online metrics space.
Through the terms of the new alliance, which expands on a ten-month-old reseller agreement, New York-based CMR now will co-market services offered by comScore’s Media Metrix Division, which includes Media Metrix panel-based research and Audience insite Measures, a media planning tool.
Reston, Va.-based comScore acquired the Media Metrix panel and products from Jupiter Media Metrix in early June.
In addition, comScore will co-market the services of online ad tracker Evaliant Media Resources, an independent firm that CMR’s parent, Taylor Nelson Sofres, acquired just days after the Media Metrix sale. Evaliant became a part of CMR’s interactive unit, which measured a fewer number of sites, including AOL Time Warner’s proprietary sites.
The companies see the co-marketing alliance as crucial to boosting sales, as both partners service different market segments: CMR services have a heavy following in the advertising agency community, while comScore’s products are chiefly in use by marketers in the automotive, finance and retail sectors.
comScore also is looking to gain support for its upcoming release of products based on an enlarged Media Metrix panel, slated for November.
The two researchers, which previously had been working to roll out a product integrating data from each, also say they plan to shift gears to focus on linking each of their recent acquisitions. The resulting product would incorporate ad-tracking data from Evaliant and audience measurement data from Media Metrix.
Ideally, that would give advertisers a single tool to analyze where their competitors are advertising online, and the kind of traffic they’re generating as a result — similar to services offered by competitors like Nielsen//NetRatings .
“Our continued integration with CMR’s outstanding relationships and technology better serves advertising and media clients,” said comScore President and Chief Executive Magid Abraham. “And with the growing importance of online ad measurement across other sectors, we’re delighted to offer Evaliant and other CMR products to the marketers that comScore serves, from automotive to financial services and the many diverse industries in between.”
In addition, executives suggested that the combined efforts could lead to other new products.
The strategic maneuvers come amid a flurry of activity and jockeying for position among the largest providers of online data and research. In addition to the acquisitions by CMR and comScore Networks, recent months have seen Nielsen//NetRatings purchase Jupiter’s AdRelevance division — which competes with Evaliant — and the @Plan online media research unit from DoubleClick .
