According to Microsoft, the beta release of Engagement ROI, scheduled for March 1, "evaluates and assigns measurable value to a consumer's interaction with ads, giving advertisers and publishers a more complete picture of online behavior."
The new system is slated for testing by national advertisers including Citi Cards, Mindshare Interaction and Sprint.
The new technology provides more in-depth performance metrics than "last ad clicked" solutions that only reveal rudimentary information about advertising, taking into account the various experiences that consumers go through before a sale.
"The 'last ad clicked' is an outdated and flawed approach because it essentially ignores all prior interactions the consumer has with a marketer's message," Brian McAndrews, senior vice president of the Advertiser & Publisher Solutions (APS) Division at Microsoft, said. "Our Engagement Mapping approach conveys how each ad exposure — whether display, rich media or search, seen multiple times on multiple sites and across many channels — influenced an eventual purchase. We believe it represents a quantum leap for advertisers and publishers who are seeking to maximize their online spends."
Engagement ROI is an integrated reporting system run within the Atlas Media Console, that assigns ad values based on real-time performance measurements that evaluate the impact of recency, frequency, size and ad format (whether still image or rich media such as video) on the consumer's purchase decision process.
According to Microsoft, "Engagement ROI is designed to allow advertisers and publishers to manage their campaigns with greater insight and control than previously available through third-party ad serving."