LONDON — Weber Shandwick’s former global managing director and EVP of analytics, Alex Vass, has set up his own analytics agency to help PR agencies provide clients with independent data and insights.

Independent Marketing Sciences is already working alongside PR, marketing and media agencies such as Blurred, Chameleon and Idea Scout, providing “econometrics” – proving campaigns have worked and delivered ROI – as well as analysing earned, paid, owned and social conversations, and consultancy around how to develop more effective campaigns, based on that data.

Before joining Weber Shandwick in January 2017, Vass was EMEA head of analytics for IPG Mediabrands. He told PRovoke Media: “Analytics has become really important in all forms of marketing, but until recently it’s been the prerogative of the big agencies, who have invested in analytics talent.

“But there’s a huge conflict of interest: clients really want to know the truth of the situation, but if you ask someone how effective their work is, they are going to tell you everything is great and the client should spend even more money. There’s also a lot of churn in this area, because analysts naturally want to work with science and end up clashing in agencies where it’s more about selling products.”

Vass added: “Agencies that have been too small to do analytics can now compete, and their clients know that they are getting an unadulterated, independent analytics offer.”

Independent Marketing Sciences initially has a team of five, including chief technical officer David Lanham, who is currently setting up Independent Marketing Sciences’ second office in Singapore. Vass is in the process of recruiting more industry analysts and his aim is to have a 10-strong team by the end of this year.