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How Retail Media Networks Pose Challenges To Brand-Customer Relationships

Retail media networks are the digital channel du-jour, with revenue expected to hit $52 billion this year as brands look for ways to connect with online shoppers. While these channels represent a valuable opportunity to reach customers, their emergence fits within a long-standing trend of retailers taking over the consumer journey.

Continue reading the Media Post article here.

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Durham Based Keen Decision Systems Secures Additional Series B Funding by Local Investment Firm

DURHAM, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Keen Decision Systems (“Keen”) announced today that it has secured additional Series B financing by the Triangle Tweener Fund. This funding will help Keen accelerate the industry’s first and only decision optimization engine rooted in predictive analytics. Keen’s platform has been transforming how marketing decisions are made, helping marketers close the marketing proof gap by tying investment decisions to financial impact.

“I first discovered Keen in 2018-2019 and have been tracking the company ever since and watching them grow rapidly year over year. It’s exciting to add Keen to our portfolio and invest alongside the folks at Ballast Point Ventures”

Brand marketers and P&L owners are currently facing unprecedented challenges in the market. Inflation, supply chain disruption, budget cuts, and marketing team layoffs are just a few examples. The after effects of Covid have created an environment of tough decisions—budgets are going down instead of up, and teams have to hit the same targets with less. Keen’s omni adaptive marketing mix solution empowers brand leaders to quickly and accurately plan, adjust and report on their marketing mix strategy. Marketing leaders can now account for known and unexpected complexities across their entire marketing landscape through vetted recommendations to make data-driven investment decisions, tie them to financial impact, and create long-term value.

“Keen’s platform quantifies the value of marketing on financial performance, resulting in a 25 percent improvement or more in the first year using the system. The market for next generation marketing mix continues to mature and grow and we are well positioned to take advantage of this momentum. We’re excited to have the Tweener Fund participate in our Series B round with our lead investor, Ballast Point Ventures. The additional capital and guidance from some of the most successful entrepreneurs and investors in the Triangle will most definitely help us to build a company that consistently over performs,” said Greg Dolan, Co-Founder and CEO.

“I first discovered Keen in 2018-2019 and have been tracking the company ever since and watching them grow rapidly year over year. It’s exciting to add Keen to our portfolio and invest alongside the folks at Ballast Point Ventures,” says Scot Wingo, General Partner, Tweener Fund.

About Keen Decision Systems

Keen Decision Systems is a Durham, NC-based, software-as-a-service company whose unified marketing measurement and optimization platform helps marketers make dynamic, data-driven decisions about the most effective marketing investments, by channel, investment level and timing. Keen’s customers experience an average 25 percent improvement in brand performance in year one. Connect: KeenDS.cominfo@keends.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

About the Tweener Fund

The Triangle Tweener Fund (Tweener Fund) is a Rolling Fund (powered by AngelList) affiliated with the Triangle Tweener List. The Tweener Fund seeks to create an index of early stage, private company investments. For additional information, visit https://tweenerfund.com/

Contacts

Addie Caulk Derr, VP Marketing | addie.caulk.derr@KeenDS.com

 
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Durham Based Keen Decision Systems Announces 11 Million Dollars in Series B Funding

DURHAM, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Keen Decision Systems (“Keen”) announced today that it has closed an $11 million Series B financing led by Ballast Point Ventures IV (“BPV”) to accelerate the industry’s first and only decision optimization engine rooted in predictive analytics. Brand marketers struggle to optimize marketing investments across all online and offline channels. Keen’s unified adaptive marketing mix solution empowers brand leaders to quickly and accurately plan, adjust and report on their marketing mix strategy. Marketing leaders can now account for known and unexpected complexities across their entire marketing landscape through vetted recommendations to improve performance, outpace the competition, and increase profitability.

“Keen is bringing a much-needed solution to the marketplace, and we are thrilled to be partnering with the Company to help Keen win in this large and growing market.”

Marketing challenges are not in short supply these days. Consumer behavior continues to evolve with increased media fragmentation and more tools for marketers to manage. Additionally, unexpected events like inflation, COVID-19, and supply chain issues make planning even more difficult. Keen’s platform analyzes a complete array of data sources, including real-time data, to generate marketing plans that empower marketers to achieve their financial targets.

“We’ve had the benefit of following Keen for a few years now and have been very impressed with Greg Dolan, John Busbice and their entire team,” said Sean Barkman, a Partner at Ballast Point Ventures. “Keen is bringing a much-needed solution to the marketplace, and we are thrilled to be partnering with the Company to help Keen win in this large and growing market.” The investment from Ballast Point Ventures will accelerate Keen’s product development and fuel Keen’s brand awareness and continued expansion into new industry verticals. As part of the financing, Sean Barkman will join Keen’s Board of Directors.

“Keen provides best-in-class value to its clients and regularly improves marketing efficiency by 25 percent or more. The Company has been fortunate to experience a unique opportunity in the market as we’ve introduced a new paradigm for decision-making to the marketing industry. This has led to a significant growth trajectory, and we are confident that the collaboration with Ballast Point Ventures will continue to accelerate that growth. This investment represents a reciprocal opportunity for both companies, and I couldn’t be more excited to welcome BPV on board,” said Greg Dolan, Co-Founder and CEO.

About Keen Decision Systems

Keen Decision Systems is a Durham, NC-based, software-as-a-service company whose unified marketing measurement and optimization platform helps marketers make dynamic, data-driven decisions about the most effective marketing investments, by channel, investment level and timing. Keen’s customers experience an average 25 percent improvement in brand performance in year one. Connect: KeenDS.cominfo@keends.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

About Ballast Point Ventures

Ballast Point Ventures, headquartered in Tampa, Florida, is a later-stage venture capital and growth equity fund founded in 2002 to provide expansion capital for rapidly growing, privately owned companies, with a particular emphasis on companies located in Florida, the Southeast and Texas. The BPV partners have more than 80 years of combined experience investing in and building high-growth companies in several industries, including software, technology-enabled business services, and healthcare. Ballast Point Ventures has raised over $550 million across four Funds and seeks to make initial equity investments ranging in size from $5 million to $15 million. For additional information, visit www.ballastpointventures.com.

Contacts

Addie Caulk Derr, VP Marketing | addie.caulk.derr@KeenDS.com

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A Forward-Thinking Approach to Marketing Analysis

Inc. — Keen Decision Systems is a future-focused marketing performance management platform that empowers companies with data and tools to make fast, confident decisions about their marketing spends.

Keen has shifted how Post Consumer Brands approaches its marketing. Post used to analyze marketing impact across its biggest brands at the end of each year. With Keen, Post can evaluate marketing impact across its entire portfolio every quarter, easily testing and measuring new marketing tactics.

Insights when you need them

Audra Carson, senior director, integrated marketing communications at Post Consumer Brands, describes Keen as a “decision-focused tool” that allows users to assess a plan’s effectiveness and quantify how marketing contributes to company profit.

 

Post first tested Keen’s offering in 2019 before expanding the relationship.

 

“We found pretty quickly that Keen offered the frequency, flexibility, and forward-looking insight we had been looking for,” Carson says.

 

Logan Moorse, manager, consumer insights & analytics at Post Consumer Brands, says Post can now make smarter decisions about every brand’s strategy.

“Keen has given Post a much more data-driven approach when it comes to understanding the most efficient and effective ways we’re spending our advertising dollars,” he says.

The Post cereal brand Pebbles is a great example. While the cereal category declined by about five percent over the last year, Pebbles grew by 12 percent. Moorse credits smart marketing, made possible, in part, by Keen.

 “Testing with purpose” also helped Pebbles discover new growth strategies. Carson says being able to evaluate and adjust tactics quickly, rather than waiting a year, also enabled “a behavioral change” inside of the organization.

Come along for the ride

Post’s experience with Keen is typical. On average, Keen clients reap a 25 percent improvement in marketing return on investment (ROI) the first year. The more clients embrace Keen insights and recommendations, the bigger the potential gains, says Keen co-founder and CEO Greg Dolan.

 

Companies like Post that use marketing technology to enable forward-thinking marketing approaches and data-driven decision making drive business performance. By driving results for customers, Keen fuels its own fast growth. Dolan sums it up: “We win when our clients win.”

Keen also continually invests in its platform to create even more value. Moorse appreciates how Keen involves customers in this journey by asking for–and acting upon–input on new features and capabilities. That is part of why it’s been “an awesome partnership,” he says, and why Post will continue to work with Keen to drive marketing performance.

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Greg Dolan of Keen Tells Us How The Platform is Enabling Marketers to Predictively Optimize Spending Decisions during the Pandemic

Durham, N.C. (Startup.info) — Keen Decision Systems CEO Greg Dolan spoke with Kossi Adzo to provide an up-close, personal introduction to Keen and the values our founders embrace and cultivate across our team. Greg shares his own family’s experiences working (and schooling) from home, as well as how the pandemic has shaped and challenged the business this year.

Read the interview here.