Mi9 unleashes new data play, Tipstone

Nine Entertainment Co’s Mi9 has launched a new data service, Tipstone, which will allow brands to combine their own consumer data with Tipstone’s.

Mi9’s managing director of data and services, Richard McLaren (pictured) has been appointed Tipstone’s founding chief executive officer.

The venture is expected to be formally available from July 1 and is currently being test in partnership with local brands.

Tipstone has forged a partnership with Roy Morgan which will see registered accounts matched to its psychographic and behavioural segmentation tool Helix Personas.

The partnership is in addition to the existing relationship with consumer segmentation and demographic tool Experian Mosaic.

The full release:

"Thursday, 3 April 2014: Mi9, part of Nine Entertainment Co. (NEC), is pleased to announce the launch of Tipstone. A NEC venture, Tipstone will provide specialised data services to Australian businesses to ensure they find the right customers online while increasing their return on their marketing investment.

Richard McLaren, Managing Director of Data & Services, Mi9 has been appointed Tipstone’s founding Chief Executive Officer. “CMOs across Australia have said that they want support from us in data that goes beyond advertising and assists with their digital and other properties. They want us to work in alignment with their in-house analysts and industry partners, and they want better measurement solutions. Tipstone has therefore been created to meet this need,” Mr. McLaren said.

Tipstone will offer its clients:

• The ability to extend their own data and customer insights by integrating industry standard customer profiling tools directly into Tipstone data;
• The ability to use Tipstone data to customise their own services, such as websites, for their customers online; and
• Access to Tipstone’s new suite of reporting tools to better measure the effectiveness of digital properties and marketing activities.

“What makes Tipstone different is our coverage of the Australian online population and that we can take a marketer’s investment in customer insights and then use our own data to help them reach and have meaningful conversations with their customers.

“Marketing teams don’t need to solve some kind of big data riddle to take action; we think they know whom they want to talk to and what they want to say. Our role is making it happen, and we can do that from today,” Mr. McLaren continued.

Tipstone is not a direct marketing company; rather it will work in conjunction with the customer marketing teams of some of Australia’s best known brands. Companies will have the ability to combine their data with Tipstone’s to further reach and understand their clients’ wants and needs.

“Online data has historically been used to deliver targeted communication on a publisher’s display inventory. Tipstone will expand this marketing capability to a wider audience.” Mr. McLaren said.

As part of its commitment to simplify a marketer’s connections to its customers, alongside its existing relationship with Experian Mosaic, Tipstone has formed a significant partnership with long established market research company – Roy Morgan.

The partnership matches registered accounts to the in-depth audience insight provided by Roy Morgan’s psychographic and behavioural segmentation tool – Helix Personas. This allows media buying agencies and brand owners to precisely reach their exact target audience at scale.

Commenting on the news, Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan Research said: “Working with Tipstone we are able to leverage our customers’ existing investment in Roy Morgan, and provide them with a route to communicate directly with their target audience.”

Tipstone will power Mi9’s data targeting products, all of which continue to be available through the existing Mi9 Media channels. In addition, Tipstone will extend additional data products and services to marketing and customer service channels.

Tipstone is currently running pilot partnerships with some of Australia’s leading brands and will be formally available in market from 1 July 2014.”