The 50%-50% venture will combine information from Nielsen’s TV and internet panels with purchase data from 50 million shoppers from a cross-section of retailers in Catalina Marketing’s network. The marketing agency is the owner of Pointer Media Network, a print database of 250 million shopping transactions.

The firms said that by directly and anonymously linking consumers’ TV and online usage with in-store purchasing behaviour, they would be able to help marketers and media companies understand what is driving buying behaviour.

Nielsen chairman and CEO David Calhoun (pictured) said: “As consumers become more sophisticated and media platforms continue to fragment, advertisers must be able to build more precise and measurable media plans. The only way to get there is with faster, deeper information. Nielsen and Catalina’s combined capabilities provide comprehensive, scalable solutions for clients to better shape their marketing investments and measure their campaign ROI with far greater precision, speed and agility. We are pleased to partner with Catalina Marketing in this first step toward a holistic measure of ROI that will redefine accountability in the CPG space.”

Dick Buell, Catalina Marketing’s chairman and CEO, added: “This new company offers a depth of insight that allows for more intelligent marketing campaign development, management and measurement.”