• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, January 13, 2015

In a bid to help clients both improve their mobile messaging efforts and better integrate mobile with other channels  MEC, the GroupM media agency, has struck a deal with Boston-based Celtra to use the latter’s technology to create mobile and cross-screen display ads using data to target the ads more precisely at what MEC termed would be “global scale.” 

The deal is based in part on the agency’s belief that mobile-first strategies will be a driver of significant change in how advertisers strategically approach digital media, given the fast evolution of mobile technology and consumer reliance on their devices. 

As part of the agreement, MEC clients (which include Campbell’s and AT&T) will have access to Celtra’s proprietary customer benchmarking data for planning purposes, as well as its Ad Creator 4 Platform to deliver relevant ads to target audiences worldwide. 

Commenting on the arrangement, Rachel Pasqua, Practice Lead, Mobile, MEC North America, said, “Our partnership with Celtra means that we can apply mobile customer insights at the earliest stages of content development, thereby empowering our clients to deliver highly relevant and customized rich media solutions that will transform the overall mobile experience and of course increase ROI.” 

Pasqua added that MEC has designed an integrated, data-driven approach “leveraging audience, brand and technology insights to identify key moments in consumers’ lives where branded mobile communications can add value.” 

Added Anthony Mazzarella, VP of Sales for Celtra: “Mobility has made omnichannel a reality, disrupting the outdated model of one-size fits all digital advertising.” Celtra’s technology, he asserted will help clients harness “unique data sets during the communications planning process” leading to better relationships with consumers. 

About six months ago Celtra and MEC sibling shop MediaCom struck an agreement under which the agency would be the first shop to “road test” an upgraded version of AdCreator that included viewability measurement for ads in mobile apps and on the mobile Web.