Brands are united (ironically, perhaps) over their shared frustration of fragmentation.
They need help making sense of data flowing in from multiple different sources, said James Banks, head of digital for Dentsu’s Amplifi Global division.
This need is becoming even more acute as we enter what Banks referred to as the “algorithmic era of media.”
Last week, programmatic media specialist MiQ released a new AI-powered ad platform that gives advertisers a more cohesive view of their data.
The purpose of the platform, aptly named “Sigma” – in mathematics, the Greek letter sigma means “the sum of all parts” – is to “unify and simplify” the current programmatic landscape, Tom Richards, MiQ’s SVP of global product, told AdExchanger.
Sigma has three main components: a data visualization feature called Sigma Intelligence, a trading agent and a generative AI persona tool.
(Sigma is also apparently Gen Alpha slang for the coolest or the best – not necessarily MiQ’s intention, but a happy coincidence if its audience contains any 13-year-old programmatic buyers.)
Piecing it together
When asked about the biggest challenges facing programmatic buyers and sellers today, Richards pointed to one central problem: fragmentation.
There are more platforms, more data sources and more KPIs than ever. “It’s not a one-platform game anymore,” he said, which is why MiQ eschews the traditional concept of a marketing funnel.
Instead, Sigma Intelligence analyzes a customer’s three main “modes” – watching, browsing and buying – and creates visualizations so marketers can better understand purchase habits.
The trading agent, meanwhile, is a more conversational AI tool built on Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT that MiQ’s internal traders can use to make quick decisions via natural language prompts.
Finally, Sigma offers generative AI personas, also accessed through natural language prompts. The AI is able to comprehend complex briefs from advertisers seeking to target specific audiences and find the most relevant audience segments. Advertisers can then activate these segments via their DSPs of choice.
When advertisers can understand the daily habits and buying behaviors of their audience, Banks said, their customers can become more than just a number or an ID in a spreadsheet.
Although Dentsu isn’t using Sigma yet, Banks said he believes the platform has the potential to improve outcomes for its client base.
That would be so sigma.
