US media behemoth Viacom is to start using American Express transaction data to help firms better target their television adverts.
The two firms are launching a tool, called Vantage Intent, that promises to help advertisers "forecast commercial intent before it has formed and target the right moment in time to reach people,” says Kern Schireson, EVP, data strategy and consumer intelligence, Viacom.
AmEx will analyse the vast majority of the $1 trillion in transactions on its closed-loop network - which have been aggregated and anonymized - to help data scientists develop predictive insights about the buying preferences and patterns of groups of people advertisers are chasing.
The insights will then be used to create advanced audience segments for advertisers that optimise ad placements to target viewers across Viacom channels using a proprietary engine that can anticipate consumer intent before it is made.
Manish Gupta, EVP, global information management and data products, AmEx, says: "At a time when marketers are searching to target viewers beyond age and gender, our analytics will help them break through all the static to reach the right audience with the right message."