Unruly partners with MediaCom over new cultural research

Video ad tech firm Unruly today announced a new partnership’s with GroupM’s MediaCom over proprietary research to help brands understand deep cultural insights about consumers.

Unruly said it will use MediaCom’s ‘Cultural Connections’ research, together with its own tools on emotional data and insights, to help advertisers understand why certain video content works in some markets but not others, allowing better adaptation of content and sharper targeting for maximum engagement.

Launched in 2016, Cultural Connections sees MediaCom work with Hofstede Insights to create a database of the cultural factors that influence response to brands and their content. The research is drawn from more than 60,000 consumer interviews across 52 countries.

“We’ve generated powerful insights and seen new opportunities for transferring content and strategy between disparate markets and we are delighted to have Unruly on board, to reap similar benefits for their own clients,” said Matt Mee, MediaCom global chief strategy officer.

The new cultural insight data derived from the partnership will also be incorporated into Unruly’s first-party data segments, meaning advertisers can target individuals within specific territories who are more likely to engage with their video content.

“For the first time, we have the capacity to provide an objective and quantitative explanation for the differences we’ve observed between markets,” said Ian Forrester, global SVP for insight at Unruly.

The new offering will roll out first across Asia-Pacific next month, before hitting the UK and US later this year.