Samba TV Launches and Hires in Europe

US-based audience-driven ad and media analytics firm Samba TV has rolled out its 'Sync and Retarget' digital ad buying platform in the UK market. To support this move, the firm has set up a London office as its European HQ, where it has appointed Hitesh Bhatt and Jay Fowdar.

Samba TV measures television viewing using data from social media, connected devices and set-top boxes, to help clients understand TV viewing and its impact on consumer behavior and purchase. The firm's cross-platform analytics are drawn from its technology embedded in millions of smart TVs, and it uses 'a nationwide, census like panel that is fully representative of the US population' to measure TV and digital ad exposure for each household.

The Sync and Retarget solution, which has been available in the US since 2014, makes TV audiences addressable on digital devices including smart phones, tablets and PCs, while they are watching TV and for a period of time afterwards. European advertisers will now be able to use the tool to deepen their engagement with viewers already exposed to their TV commercials, tailoring their message by using the platform to segment groups.

Bhatt (pictured) joins in October and will head the new office as Regional Vice President for EMEA. He has a business development background gained as the Digital Revenue and Strategy Controller for BSkyB, as well as previous positions with Sizmek, Microsoft and Viacom. In his new role, he will be responsible for driving new partnerships with brands and agencies. Fowdar joins as European Director of Product, after ten years of working in digital display advertising at Byyd-Tech, Yell.com and Advertising.com. CEO Ashwin Navin comments: 'The wide variety of programs, platforms and devices that consumers have at their fingertips provide them with total control over the entertainment experience. This is a challenge we help our clients understand and overcome in North America and now we are excited to do so in Europe as well'.

Web site: www.samba.tv .