Encore Media Metrics

Encore Media Metrics was an ad-tech firm specializing in advanced media measurement and attribution, positioning itself as an independent auditor for marketers. The company was established in 2010 by Steve Latham. Latham's journey into ad-tech began in 2002 when he founded a digital media agency, Spur Interactive. The 2008-2009 recession prompted a shift in his ambitions, leading him to sell the agency and conceptualize a new measurement platform. This led to the creation of Encore Media Metrics in Manhattan, which focused on providing multi-touch attribution solutions.

Encore provided a service to agencies and brands, enabling them to measure and optimize media spend across various channels by looking beyond the last click. The company's core offering was the Encore Ensemble Attribution™ engine, which utilized an algorithm based on combined machine-learning models to provide fractional attribution. This approach tested and validated multiple models to remove the guesswork from attributing value to different touchpoints in the customer journey. A key feature of their methodology involved using a third-party ad server, TruEffect, which specialized in first-party ad serving. This allowed the use of more persistent first-party cookies, enabling the collection of user-level path data from impression and conversion events for their attribution models.

The business model centered on offering attribution analytics as a service, providing clients with unbiased insights and recommendations across their paid, earned, and owned media channels. A significant milestone for the company was its acquisition by Flashtalking, a global independent ad server, announced in January 2016. The integration of Encore's attribution engine into Flashtalking's platform was a key strategic move, adding a crucial analytical component to Flashtalking's ad-serving and dynamic creative products. This acquisition was part of Flashtalking's broader strategy to build out a comprehensive, independent ad-tech stack as an alternative to major players like Google. Following the acquisition, Steve Latham became the Global Head of Analytics at Flashtalking. Flashtalking itself was later acquired by Mediaocean in 2021.

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