Kinetic Forms Division to Unlock Consumer Data

Out-of-home (OoH) media agency Kinetic has formed a data consultancy division called Meta, to help clients 'unlock' and maximize the value of existing consumer information by linking data from a variety of locations and transaction types.

Kinetic - which is owned by marketing services group WPP - offers data analysis and planning tools to create campaigns which increase value from OoH media. Earlier this year, the firm set up a think tank to explore the impact of changing consumer behaviour, technology and data on the future of communications and commerce.

Its new division will specialise in gathering and analysing consumer data, identifying patterns of behaviour and purchasing preferences. Data on a person's online behavior will be complemented by information when they are 'out and about' - swiping their travel card at a train station, using a loyalty card in a supermarket, or accessing a web site via a Smartphone. This data will then be used to analyse people's movements and habits on a daily basis.

Meta will initially work across three sectors: travel, online retail, and entertainment venues - using each client's consumer data such as ticketing information and purchasing history, supplemented by a range of external data.

The division will be led globally by Mick Ridley, the former MD of Kinetic Intelligence, who will oversee three analysts in London and the New York operation, headed up by Craig Trachtenberg.

There are also plans to roll out the division in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands by the end of 2010, and a development strategy will be created for the Asia Pacific region.

'Meta is a consultancy aimed at clients who want to unlock the potential of the data they hold as an organization,' states Ridley. 'By bringing together disparate information sets companies can gain immense competitive advantage.'

Web site: www.kineticww.com .