iCrossing Partners With Media6Degrees to Connect Brands With 'Friends of Friends'

June 15, 2009; 10:09 AM

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- iCrossing (www.icrossing.com), a global digital marketing agency, today announced a partnership with Media6Degrees (www.media6degrees.com), the technology company that maps the global social graph to provide major brand marketers with scalable customized audiences.

The agreement enhances iCrossing's Performance Display offering to include Media6Degrees targeting capabilities, which connect a brand's existing customers with user segments composed entirely of consumers who are interwoven via the social graph. As an early adopter of the Media6Degrees platform, iCrossing will now be able to reach people who have expressed interest in a particular brand, product or service, as well as people with whom that individual is connected within social media networks. It has been proven that because people connected within social networks share powerful demographic and psychographic traits, these "friends of friends" respond to advertising messages at dramatically higher rates than those targeted with traditional demographic or geographic methods.

The partnership also enables iCrossing to uniquely conduct search-based social-retargeting, matching paid search ad performance data with Media6Degrees data, to more efficiently target only the highly qualified potential network neighbors that are connected to the target user.

In a social retargeting test using Media6Degrees Social Audience technology for several major brands in the travel, financial services and retail verticals, iCrossing was able to increase the return on investment for performance display media campaigns by more than 50 percent.

"Since the beginning of time, people have gravitated toward others with similar interests, and online relationships are no different," said Dax Hamman, vice president, display media, iCrossing. "This partnership is a major step toward helping brands leverage social networks to engage consumers. With the Media6Degrees platform, iCrossing can zero in on those users who are most likely to be receptive to a brand's message."

"Traditional display media resembles a brand shouting at the crowd, the theory being if you shout loud enough and long enough then someone who is interested will hear you. Performance Display works more like search, responding to an individual's needs," continued Hamman. "The Media6Degrees technology will help iCrossing build 'custom crowds' of targeted individuals that surround our clients' brands."

"iCrossing has led the industry in using the insights gained in search across all digital marketing channels," said Kathy Leake, co-founder of Media6Degrees. "They are the perfect partner to show how social media insights can also drive ROI for brands."

About iCrossing

iCrossing is a global digital marketing agency that combines talent and technology to help world-class brands find and connect with their customers. The company blends best-in-class digital marketing services -- including paid search, search engine optimization, Web development, social media, mobile, research and analytics -- to create integrated digital marketing programs that engage consumers and drive ROI. iCrossing's client base includes such recognized brands as Epson America, Toyota, Travelocity and 40 Fortune 500 companies, including The Coca-Cola Company and Office Depot. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, the company has 550 employees in 12 offices in the U.S. and Europe.

About Media6Degrees

Media6Degrees (media6degrees.com) provides major brand marketers scalable, bespoke audiences using the power of social graph data. The New York-based company is backed by $10M in funding from Venrock, U.S. Venture Partners, Contour Venture Partners, Coriolis Ventures and several prominent angel investors.

    Media Contact:
    Dana Mellecker, iCrossing
    646-435-4456
    dana.mellecker@icrossing.com