Campbell Mithun's Compass Point Media Launches OdinRTB Agency Trading Desk for Retail/CPG Clients

The Compass Point Media unit of Minneapolis advertising agency Campbell Mithun has launched an agency trading desk called OdinRTB for retail and consumer packaged goods clients, tying together real-time bidding (RTB) fueled by sophisticated analytics. The category focus makes driving brick-and-mortar, in-store transactions (not just online conversions) top priorities for OdinRTB, which was named for Odin, the Norse God of wisdom. Real-time bidding is a key feature of programmatic ad buying in the digital space.

“This offering grew organically out of meeting very specific client needs,” said Chris Wexler, director of media strategy and interactive at Campbell Mithun’s Compass Point Media. “These marketers consistently reach out to connect online with consumers who purchase their products off-line, which requires a niche interactive strategy.”

That category-specific approach gives the OdinRTB team the ability to prioritize factors such as: understanding data sets that link online exposure to offline sales, identification of online behaviors that index highly for likelihood to purchase, and the importance of geography in developing the connection plan (given that consumers purchase the products at a retail location). Nimble strategies piloted by OdinRTB include the successful use of instant sampling and event/holiday-triggered promotions, among others.

The new trading desk has experienced solid early growth and already serves six of the agency’s existing media clients -- including GreatClips, KeyBank and Land O’Lakes, which relied on OdinRTB as part of the integrated connection plan that supported launch of its new Sauté Express® Sauté Starter.

“Development of OdinRTB grew out of our holistic approach to digital planning, a deepened analytics practice and a years-long test-and-learn process,” said Dick Hurrelbrink, president of Campbell Mithun’s Compass Point Media. “We’ve also built it with a transparent agency compensation model, which our clients value given increased cost pressures across the industry.”

The launch of OdinRTB by Campbell Mithun’s Compass Point Media adds heft to programmatic capabilities within the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) network, complementing the Cadreon trading desk launched by IPG Mediabrands in 2009. Campbell Mithun is an independent, full-service agency within Interpublic.

About Campbell Mithun’s Compass Point Media (NYSE: IPG)

Compass Point Media, established in 1976 as the media unit of advertising agency Campbell Mithun, makes connections in all the right places – mass, digital and social – to tap the integrated power of emerging media platforms. Team strategists and negotiators maximize media impact and minimize costs for both media-only and shared Campbell Mithun clients, including Chipotle, GreatClips, KeyBank, Johnsonville Sausage, Land O’Lakes, Save-A-Lot and Schwan’s.

Since its founding in 1933, Campbell Mithun has created client marketplace success guided by Ray Mithun’s founding philosophy: make Everything Talk at each point of customer contact.

Websites: www.compasspoint-media.com, www.cmithun.com