The firm has partnered with ad targeting firm [x+1 ], online audience researcher ComScore and ad effectiveness researcher Dynamic Logic, and said it will continue to expand the network of partners.

It aims to help clients to target web users more effectively, as well as to evaluate the ROI of their campaigns.

The company’s consumer and shopper insights president Bob Tomei said: “IRI’s digital media solutions combined with the online advertising capabilities of our strategic partners will enable marketers to be more efficient and effective with their online campaigns and, at the same time, be in a position to evaluate how online behaviour drives offline sales.”

By comparing purchase behaviour at households that were exposed to ads with those that weren’t, IRI hopes to deliver ROI metrics for digital campaigns, and eventually come up with a “normative database on the effectiveness of online advertising and promotional programmes”.