Creative Analytics firm AdSkate Acquired

In Pittsburgh, USA, integrated marketing agency Brunner has acquired AdSkate, an AI-powered creative analytics and marketing intelligence platform helping brands and agencies to optimize campaign performance. Terms were not disclosed.

Brunner was founded in 1989 and has a staff of more than 150 people. AdSkate makes use of AI and machine learning to help clients optimize their creative. With leadership and tech from Carnegie Mellon University, the company analyzes advertising performance across images, video and messaging, for different audience segments, to see what drives engagement, conversion and return on ad spend.

AdSkate's branding will be retained for the time being, while the platform is integrated within Brunner's broader offering. As this proceeds, Brunner;s clients will gain access to enhanced creative testing, predictive performance modeling, audience insights, and AI-powered campaign optimization capabilities. AdSkate's technology will also form the core of new AI-enabled offerings to be launched 'in the near future.'

Kevin Amos (pictured), Partner and Chief Media and Data Officer at Brunner, comments: 'Marketing is entering a new era where creative intelligence is becoming just as important as media intelligence... AdSkate has built an innovative platform that helps marketers understand not only what is performing, but why it is performing. By bringing AdSkate into the Brunner family, we will help clients make smarter decisions, move faster, optimize campaigns with greater confidence, and maximize the impact of every marketing dollar.'

Akaash Ramakrishnan, co-Founder and CEO at AdSkate, will become Senior Director, AI and Innovation at Brunner; while co-founder and CTO Shreyas Venugopalan becomes AI and Technology Consultant; and Creative Technology Specialist Max Rosen will take the title of Creative Technologist.

The firms are online at www.brunnerworks.com and www.adskate.com .