Millward Brown and Comscore Create Global Brand and Behavior Partnership for Digital Effectiveness

LONDON, December 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Combined offer will help brands boost digital ROI by connecting validated audiences with impact on brand and consumer behavior 

Millward Brown and comScore have signed a partnership designed to provide brands with an unprecedented understanding of how their digital advertising is performing.

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The partnership, which includes all markets outside U.S., Canada and Taiwan, will enable brands and their agencies to assess the full value of their digital advertising. The combined data will also benefit publishers looking to demonstrate the power and value of their platforms to advertisers.

The two companies will combine existing best-in-class metrics to provide a unique and comprehensive dataset that delivers across three areas:

• First, audience metrics from comScore validated Campaign Essentials™ (vCE^®) let brands and their agencies know if ads were viewable, by human eyes, in a brand-safe environment, and if the validated impressions reached the intended target audience. By identifying impressions that had the best chance to make an impact, advertisers can better identify waste and optimize delivery.
  
• Second, marketers can assess the brand impact of digital campaigns through traditional brand metrics such as awareness and purchase intent. Millward Brown's Brand Lift Insights solution will assess how attitudes to the brand have changed after exposure to digital advertising and compare results to Millward Brown's vast global normative database. A respondent-level connection to vCE will now enable brand lift to be filtered based on metrics such as in-view impressions and free from invalid traffic.
  
• The third area of the partnership measures consumer behavior. Using comScore Action Lift™, brands can understand how their online campaigns have driven shifts in metrics such as site visits, competitive share, branded searches and online conversions.

The three elements of the partnership, individually, are proven to deliver insights that allow brands to increase campaign effectiveness. Combined, they create an incredibly powerful toolkit to help marketers determine the full value of a validated impression across all digital platforms.

"Advertisers need a comprehensive view of digital effectiveness from delivery through to impact and this partnership will enable us to provide that globally with immediate effect," said Duncan Southgate, Global Brand Director, Digital at Millward Brown.

"By combining the expertise of our two organisations, advertisers will have access to the best-in-class solutions to evaluate and optimise the right metrics on the impact on brand perception and consumer behavior," said Paul Goode, SVP Strategic Partnerships at comScore. "Everyone likes big numbers, but optimising campaigns for viewable impressions alone without advanced invalid traffic removal is chasing the wrong big number."

Under the partnership, Millward Brown will resell comScore vCE and Action Lift products, while comScore will provide sales referral for Millward Brown's Brand Lift Insights.

The companies will work together with clients and their agencies to deliver guidance on the best combination of products to help clients meet specific business objectives. To learn more about the partnership and solutions, please contact your Millward Brown or comScore representative.

Since February 2015, comScore and Kantar have brought together their complementary expertise in technology, data assets and consumer panels to develop world-class solutions in cross-media audience and campaign measurement, brand measurement and sales effect. With a number of joint offerings already launched and several more in the pipeline, the two companies are intent on creating for their clients a new standard in measuring audiences, brand strength and campaign ROI across multiple platforms.

About Millward Brown 

Millward Brown is a leading global research agency specializing in advertising effectiveness, strategic communication, media and brand equity research. Millward Brown helps clients grow great brands through comprehensive research-based qualitative and quantitative solutions. Specialist global practices include Millward Brown Digital (a leader in digital effectiveness and intelligence), Firefly Millward Brown (our global qualitative network), a Neuroscience Practice (using neuroscience to optimize the value of traditional research techniques), and Millward Brown Vermeer (a strategy consultancy helping companies maximize financial returns on brand and marketing investments). Millward Brown operates in more than 55 countries and is part of Kantar, WPP's data investment management division. Learn more at http://www.millwardbrown.com.

About comScore 

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Reston, Virginia, comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global media measurement and analytics company that makes audiences and advertising more valuable. comScore helps media buyers and sellers understand and make decisions based on how consumers use different media, such as TV, video, mobile, desktop and more. Through its products and partnerships, comScore helps its more than 2,500 clients understand their audiences, know if their advertising is working, and access data where they want and need it. Please visit http://www.comscore.com to learn more.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements 

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including, but not limited to, expectations regarding the impact and benefits of impact of the strategic alliance between comScore and Kantar to comScore, financial or otherwise. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to: the features and characteristics of the products, the rate of development of the digital marketing intelligence, Internet advertising and e-Commerce markets; the growth of the Internet as a medium for commerce, content, advertising and communications; and the acceptance of new products and methodologies by the industry, including existing and prospective clients.

For a detailed discussion of these and other risk factors, please refer to comScore's most recent respective Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Annual Reports on Form 10-K and from time to time other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which are available on the SEC's Web site (http://www.sec.gov).

Stockholders of comScore are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date such statements are made. comScore does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or new information after the date of this press release, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Media Contact:
Dominic Harders
+44-(0)1926-826307
dominic.harders@millwardbrown.com