Atapa™ predictive media planning software

Atapa™ is a new predictive media planning tool to help agencies and advertisers forecast the return on investment of their communications campaigns. They are developing a final commercial prototype of this tool that successfully responds to the feedback and interest of the world’s largest media groups. Project activities include proof of concept prototype development and server scalability for a global rollout.

With media fragmentation and the rising importance of non-paid media factors like word of mouth, creating high return media plans is increasingly difficult with current media planning tools and analysis techniques. Especially as they are generally silent on the deeper question of why you get a particular result from your media spend. 

One approach is agent based modelling (ABM), which takes the perspective of the individual and their behaviour to model reality. Faulkner Lab is seeking to commercialise a revolutionary media planning simulation tool for media planners and analysts called Atapa™. Atapa™, through its application of ABM, is the only media planning tool worldwide that permits rapid, accurate, cross-channel ROI understanding and forecasting for paid, owned and word of mouth communication.

Managing Director of Faulkner Lab, Peter Faulkner, commented on his company's experience with Commercialisation Australia. "Before receiving the Commercialisation Australia grant we had an initial product prototype created in the absence of industry feedback due to patenting reasons. Whilst it was received with great interest, concerns were raised about its ease of widespread implementation. Our objective was to create a new predictive media planning tool prototype that successfully responded to the feedback and interest of two of the world's largest media groups, WPP's GroupM and IPG's Mediabrands in particular."

With assistance from Commercialisation Australia, Faulkner Lab have achieved the following results:

• a prototype that addresses all the issues raised by prospective users of the software, such as optimisation and diminishing returns functionality; a new approach to response curve creation and adstock decay; and different results reporting techniques;
• a technical architecture that provides for cost-efficient server scalability to meet the demands of a global rollout. This is critical given the multi-national nature of their target market;
• the creation of a technical foundation upon which their pricing strategy, channel strategy, systems strategy, marketing collateral, PR, white papers, conferences, overseas sales trips, operational support, and financial strategy are built;
• protection of the prototype's IP by continuing into the national phase of patenting;
• ongoing communication established with executives of all the major global advertising networks off the back of a 10 week global roadshow from September to December 2010; and
• greater clarity on the software's commercial viability and the steps necessary to successfully take it to market as a fully fledged product.

Mr Faulkner said Commercialisation Australia has been invaluable in ensuring that they take the appropriate steps to maximise their chances of success. "Without the grant assistance we would not have been able to access the financial resources necessary to fund the entire envisaged project. We believe that the project in a more limited form would have proceeded without grant support, but with far less likelihood of success as well as less potential for export maximisation from having a compelling proof of concept.

Our Case Manager has been of great assistance in helping us prepare for the next stage of the evolution of our company, external funding. This is in order to support planned growth, particularly in the US and UK markets. He has provided advice on who to talk to, when and what about. All this has given us a clearer view of where we're going and how we're going to keep control as we move forward."