ITVX, a research company that measures the marketing effectiveness
and value of branded entertainment, is adding social media to its analysis
through a partnership with General Sentiment.
Product placement, integrations and other forms of branded
entertainment are becoming bigger parts of media campaigns, creating a demand
for finding better ways to predict which executions will resonate with
consumers before they run and evaluate their effectiveness post-air.
"Our clients want accurate information that is easy to
implement and will help them precisely measure their total media initiatives
across TV, movie and digital screens," said Frank Zazza, CEO of iTVX. "We chose
to partner with General Sentiment because it offers a streamlined social
intelligence solution that offers the depth necessary to realistically
interpret online conversations."
Zazza and Pete Moran, CEO of General Sentiment, described
the partnership over dinner at the New York Athletic Club. The two executives were introduced by a
mutual friend in the research business, Bill Harvey, CEO of TRA.
Working with General Sentiment, social media insights will
flow onto the iTVX dashboard along with audience data, commercial exposure
scores and branded entertainment scores, providing clients with what Zazza
calls a forensic view of their branded entertainment's performance.
"Monitoring conversations is just one part of the equation,"
said Moran. "Gleaning social insights
create more informed marketing strategies in today's market. Old ways of
analysis are no longer adequate as clients search for a more complete picture
of their brand presence. This branded entertainment partnership with iTVX
allows for deeper engagement interpretation for our clients."
General Sentiment will work exclusively with iTVX in the
branded entertainment space.
Last year iTVX teamed up with media measurement company
Rentrak to create second-by-second ratings for branded entertainment.
Rentrak
had been working with Bluefin Labs on social media research projects, but
Bluefin has been acquired by Twitter.
