Concept:

Developed during 2010, ChoiceStream's CRUNCH solution is a custom audience targeting platform designed to help online advertisers target new prospects in a more effective, efficient manner using display ad units. 

CRUNCH captures the online intent behavior of specified demographic target groups.

By transforming shopping behavior and media consumption into intelligence about a consumer’s unique preferences, ChoiceStream has been able to help many leading retailers target their most qualified prospective customers with the right advertisements, email promotions and product recommendations. With this information in hand, merchants can improve brand engagement, conversion rates and customer loyalty.

Team:

Based in Cambridge MA, ChoiceStream was founded by CEO Steve Johnson, who also developed the CRUNCH solution with COO Eric Bosco.

Prior to co-developing CRUNCH, Bosco spent nearly 20 years building ad technology platforms as Chief Product Officer at comScore and SVP of Global Products and U.S. Operations for AOL’s Platform-A. Some of ChoiceStream’s customers include AT&T, Zappos and Tesco.

Market Relevance:

The effectiveness of the CRUNCH solution relies primarily on anonymous online shopper behavior. Its predictive algorithms are designed to find prospects, nearly anywhere online, who have attributes similar to previous purchasers, helping brands reach the right person with the right message. The solution is aimed at introducing new brands to both online and offline consumers, supporting brand loyalty and streamlining the buying process. 

Delivery:

Utilizing proprietary intent data that predicts how audiences will react to brand messaging, the CRUNCH solution helps advertisers find relevant shoppers to target. CRUNCH combines a rich, proprietary database of consumer intentions from partners with select sources of behavioral data to customize the audience most likely to respond to the advertiser’s display ad campaign.

CRUNCH observes the unique attributes of the consumers who respond to the campaign to create a custom audience segment best suited for the brand message. Targeting gets smarter with each ad response; and individuals enter and leave CRUNCH’s custom audience segment as their intentions and interests change, allowing the solution to persistently optimize to the most responsive consumers. CRUNCH utilizes pixel-based engagement activity to optimize the brand campaign in real time. 

Proof Points:

The CRUNCH solution was tested and proven effective from January 2011 to June 2011 when in a variety of beta tests, CRUNCH delivered the following results:

• 3,100 new, high-lifetime value (LTV) customers were delivered to one ChoiceStream user's shopping cart in less than 60 days;
• New registrants sent to a client via CRUNCH spent, on average, 35% more on subsequent purchases; 
• CRUNCH lowered a client's cost to engage new shoppers by 30%; and
• CRUNCH provided a 73% higher click-through rate over the test client's prior baseline.