Poindexter Hits Suite Spot with Tech Update

Poindexter Systems has upgraded and grouped its products together into a componentized suite, which features several enhanced tools designed to offer advertisers greater performance and control over their behavioral targeting programs.

The defining characteristic of the suite, which is called Poindexter 6.0 (PDX6), is its “modular” platform that can interface with an advertiser’s choice of email, search, and analytics applications, said Rich Person, Poindexter’s chief executive.

“Customers want one-stop shopping, but what happens if each component is not the best?” Person said. “Instead, we’ll provide the decisioning engine underneath and let the customer plug in site analytics, search — everything from customer acquisition to conversion.”

Key clients, including AOL, American Express, and Eddie Bauer, participated in Poindexter’s three-month beta testing period for the PDX6 suite, which was completed in January. All three companies are now using the product. H&R Block and OMD Corp. have signed on as clients as well, Person said.

PDX6 features five major upgrades, including the Poindexter Optimization Engine 3.0 (POE3) tool, which allows for multiple products and offers to be modeled simultaneously. This upgraded tool also allows advertisers to input specific business constraints such as budget and product impression delivery.

Poindexter also offers an upgraded version of its SmartServe Reports tool, which features interactive report creation, an enhanced presentation, multiple outputs, scheduling, and a report portal. Third is a new Creative Optimization tool that performs automated optimization and allows users to specify which creatives should be shown to maximize conversions and revenues.

Poindexter has also added a tool aimed at brand advertisers which integrates tracking tag data from online research firms and rich media providers. Finally, the suite allows clients to store more optimization data, powering Poindexter’s optimization tool across over 20 additional variables.

“The overall take on Poindexter 6.0 is we broaden the data that can be collected and broaden what can be optimized,” said Ted Shergalis, Poindexter’s chief product officer. “Take advertising on blogs. Does Poindexter offer the tools to advertise on a blog? No. But we let you use whatever tool you want. We collect the data, analyze it, and optimize to manage the interaction with consumers in the best way.”

In other recent news, Poindexter has hired Dr. Andreas Weigend, formerly of Amazon.com, to serve as chief scientist of the company’s product development and strategy.