McKinsey & Co., New York, the global management consulting firm, and Internet audience measurement company Media Metrix, also of New York, this week announced a strategic research alliance designed to develop a deeper understanding of online consumer behavior and its implications for e-businesses.
The alliance will combine McKinsey’s marketing, branding and e-business expertise with Media Metrix’s database of online usage, allowing customers to build, grow and market stronger e-businesses.
“This catapults e-commerce marketing knowledge into a whole new realm of sophistication,” said John Forsyth, principal and co-leader of McKinsey’s e-Marketing Practice. “With more than 1,400 new Web sites launched monthly, Internet businesses are struggling to differentiate themselves, and we’ve found that too many companies are merely guessing at what consumers are actually doing online.”
Forsyth also said that the alliance will strengthen McKinsey’s position as a unique consulting resource for e-businesses.
In general, both companies believe that the alliance will allow e-tailers and Internet companies to further analyze click-stream data which will ultimately help clients understand every nuance of what people are doing online.
In addition to supporting client research initiatives, the alliance will actively study the burgeoning online world, periodically releasing findings to the public.
