BzzAgent Validates Social Marketing ROI With Marketing Mix Modeling

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - Jan 23, 2012) - BzzAgent, the social marketing arm of dunnhumby, announces that the company's social marketing campaigns have been successfully evaluated in Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) analysis for several of the world's largest CPG companies. MMM is considered the gold standard for quantifying drivers of business performance across all marketing channels and activities. Analysis conducted by three leading measurement firms -- Nielsen, Genpact and Foresight ROI -- has demonstrated a positive ROI for social marketing compared to other media, delivering an average return of $1.50 for every dollar spent.

The successful evaluation of social marketing in these sophisticated MMM studies enables marketers to move beyond inexact metrics of engagement so social marketing can be measured apples-to-apples to other marketing initiatives using the same financial metrics.

"This answers the debate within the marketing industry about whether social media can be measured against the sales impact of traditional media," said Dave Balter, CEO of BzzAgent. "The analysis of these market mix modeling studies proves that with the right marketing activities and data collection practices, social marketing can be a very effective investment for CPG brand managers."

The Marketing Mix Modeling analysis of BzzAgent CPG social marketing programs by top measurement firms took place between 2009 and 2011. The average return of $1.50 for every dollar spent is an example of the results social marketing can deliver for CPG companies. ROI analysis practices differ in every company, so a lower ROI may still represent a very successful campaign when evaluated in the context of the overall marketing plan.

BzzAgent specializes in helping brand marketers use social marketing to build brand advocacy and drive product sales. The company identifies the right consumers and engages them in activities that spread authentic product opinions to a wide audience in-person and online across social networks, blogs and consumer review sites. BzzAgent enlists "Agents" to generate widespread discussion of consumer products among their peers in-person and online across social media sites. The company has 850,000 Agents and an addressable network of 400 million shoppers worldwide through the loyalty programs managed by parent company dunnhumby.

About BzzAgent
BzzAgent, the social marketing arm of dunnhumby, activates influential customers to drive sales for the world's largest brands. With insights from over 400 million shoppers around the world, BzzAgent provides marketers precise targeting and a powerful engagement platform to turn loyal customers into advocates. Proven measurement practices provide detailed analysis of key retail metrics, incremental sales and ROI. BzzAgent has been a leader in word of mouth marketing since 2001, running thousands of programs for global companies including Unilever, Wrigley, L'Oreal, and Green Mountain Coffee. For more information visit: http://about.bzzagent.com