Mastercard has unveiled a digital media network that uses permissioned transaction data to deliver personalised advertising.
Mastercard Commerce Media promises to take the guesswork out of advertising by using proprietary insights from the tens of billions of transactions processed by the company every year.
With its existing base of 25,000 advertisers and reach to 500 million enrolled consumers, the network operates both in owned channels as well as bank and other publishing outlets around the world. Mastercard says it delivers a proven up to 22-times return on ad spend for advertisers across categories, including retail, travel, entertainment, dining, and everyday spend.
The platform delivers tailored offers and content (cashback, discounts, incentives, advertisements) to specific audiences. Within Mastercard’s proprietary Offers platform and in line with the advertiser’s set parameters, Mastercard uses insights from permissioned data to identify the right audience for each offer. Consumers who receive offers can activate them on their enrolled card and complete the purchase, which Mastercard can then attribute directly to the served content.
"We understand how to connect advertisers to consumers and consumers to the products, services and experiences they value,” says Craig Vosburg, chief services officer, Mastercard. “Mastercard Commerce Media is a natural extension of the trusted connections we’re known for and the work we already do across our unique suite of services."
Mastercard is not the only payments firm bidding to cash in on its trove of transaction data via advertising - last year both PayPal and JPMorgan Chase launched similar efforts.