Media communications network GroupM has announced the launch of LIVE Panel, a new consumer and media insight solution enabling its agencies to more efficiently develop precise and targeted media plans so advertisers can more effectively reach their audiences, measure outcomes and seize competitive advantage.

With seamless access to a global panel of more than 5.5 million consumers in 30 markets, LIVE Panel delivers the actionable insights needed to inform media decisions for both global and local campaigns. The new platform connects with multiple data sources across Kantar’s market leading data and research assets and integrates with the bespoke planning tools of GroupM’s media agencies to accelerate the time from insight to planning to implementation.

“In an era of continually evolving consumer behaviors and media preferences across a wider array of channels, marketers who have the most intelligence are at a distinct advantage, and our unique knowledge of audiences worldwide sets us apart in the industry,” said Irwin Gotlieb, chairman, GroupM Global.

“Leveraging WPP’s data and analytics investments, we know more about media use and consumption behaviors than anyone else. LIVE Panel operationalises this knowledge to turn consumers into audiences and audiences into customers more nimbly and efficiently for our clients’ advantage.”

“GroupM’s use of our global Lightspeed consumer panels and the integration of a number of our unique data sources – BrandZ, TGI, Connected Life and Kantar Worldpanel ComTech – into LIVE Panel fully realises the power of Kantar’s insights capabilities by embedding them into agencies’ media investment management tools,” said Eric Salama, CEO of Kantar.

“This continues Kantar’s strategy of combining survey, panel and census data for the benefit of marketers by connecting us to the client rosters of the world’s largest media investment group.”

LIVE Panel is the latest tool in a growing portfolio of consumer and media insight planning tools that help GroupM’s media agencies, including Mindshare, MEC, MediaCom, Maxus and Essence to build distinct marketplace offerings that leverage the best data available in regions worldwide.  LIVE Panel provides clients of GroupM agencies the following connectivity and benefits:

• Understanding of consumers and trends via continuous access to research panels (Lightspeed)
• Evaluation of consumer purchase and retail behaviors (Kantar Worldpanel and Kantar Shopcom)
• Integration of brand equity data to motivate and measure changes in awareness, attitude or behavior by re-contacting LIVE Panel with brand equity questions (Millward Brown BrandZ)
• Development of unique audience insights and programmatic audience segmentson the basis of consumer attitudes, product purchase and usage behavior (TGI, TNS Connected Life)
• Balancing of plans with understanding of consumer media usage such as multi-screen device consumption (TNS Connected Life)
• Creation of device-optimal strategies and tactics with understanding of mobile phone, tablet and quad-play ownership, usage and purchasing trends (Kantar Worldpanel ComTech)