Peter Rice explores how agency and in-house analytics teams can connect media data, strengthen measurement and create a clearer view of performance.

The growth of in-house analytics capabilities has changed the role agencies should play in measurement. Brands increasingly have sophisticated teams with deep knowledge of their customers, operations and business priorities.

That does not make agency analytics less relevant. It raises the standard for what an agency should contribute.

As Peter Rice discusses in the accompanying video, the strongest partnerships combine different forms of expertise. Internal teams bring business context, proprietary data and an understanding of how decisions are made. This knowledge is especially important in highly regulated industries such as pharmaceutical and financial services, where privacy, governance and compliance shape how data can be used.

Agencies should bring specialized knowledge of media platforms, data and measurement. That matters because media data is fragmented. Each platform has its own reporting environment, attribution methodology and definition of impact, often creating incomplete or competing views of performance.

“The goal is to give everybody the same picture of reality so teams can make decisions quickly and confidently.”

Kepler’s marketing intelligence platform, Kip, helps establish that shared foundation by collecting, cleaning and standardizing media data. The data can support Kepler’s analysis while also feeding into a client’s existing analytics and visualization environment.

This allows media intelligence to be combined with the business knowledge held by the client, creating a more complete view of performance.

The same principle applies to measurement strategy. Media mix modeling, multitouch attribution, lift testing, geo experiments and platform holdouts can each answer different questions. The right approach depends on the available data, the complexity of the program and the resources required to maintain it.

“The right measurement system delivers meaningful insight while remaining practical for teams to use and maintain.”

Check out the video for additional perspective from Kepler VP of Measurement Peter Rice on how business knowledge, media data and specialized expertise can come together to support stronger decision-making.