Pointcast analyzes viewship information with Broadbase

For leading Internet broadcast news service Pointcast, tracking and analyzing viewership statistics is critical to the company's sales and marketing efforts. Viewing and analyzing the data on the Web used to be difficult and time-consuming; a new system from Broadbase Information Systems lets Pointcast workers quickly compile, analyze and share real-time viewership information across the organization.

In order to analyze viewer activity on the Pointcast Network, workers would pore over lists of viewership and demographic statistics (age group, gender, income, occupation, and industry) from several hundred static Web pages. The data "was plentiful but difficult to digest," according to Ann Shepherd, Pointcast's director of viewer marketing. Using a Broadbase data mart, Pointcast workers can now analyze viewership statistics in graphical form, port the data into a spreadsheet or Powerpoint presentation, and pass the data along to other workers. "We can look at the data graphically, share it easily with other departments and more quickly see cause and effect relationships that allow us to better understand our customers and their preferences," said Shepherd.

The new system gives Pointcast an edge by allowing workers to analyze viewership trends quickly and optimize its services based on real-time data. "One of our biggest IT challenges is providing decision makers in marketing and product development with direct access to the analytical information they need to gauge viewer demographics and trends," said Bob Pereira, program manager for reporting systems at Pointcast. "Our new Broadbase solution will provide users with a clear view of key business indicators that is kept current. This will allow us to respond quickly to changing market demands.