Toronto-based data analytics startup Bnotions has won Facebook’s twice-annual Innovation Competition, which recognizes technology partners from around the world that have developed unique or exemplary solutions for Facebook marketing.
Bnotions was one of four winners, taking home the prize in the Mobile App Advertising category. It was recognized for its Gallop Labs platform, which helps marketers use their first-party data to target users on Facebook mobile campaigns.
Gallop works primarily with app developers looking to drive downloads and user engagement. It collects data on users that have downloaded the app, and uses it to find potential customers on Facebook to target with ads. So far, Gallop has been used by brands like Kobo, The New York Times, and RBC.
A case study submitted for the competition described Bnotions’ work with Rithm, a music promotions app, to optimize its Facebook campaigns and create custom audiences using behavioural data. Bnotions says it drove 18% growth in monthly active users. Users who found Rithm through Gallop-powered Facebook campaigns had a 25% longer average lifetime, and were four times more likely to become active users of the app.
In conversation with Canadian startups blog BetaKit, Bnotions managing partner Alkarim Nasser said the company had firsthand knowledge of how mobile advertising campaigns can fail from its own work developing mobile products. ‘
“Gallop Labs is our way of taking matters into our own hands,” he said. “We knew focusing on data and analytics was the key to success, so working with the Facebook ads API was crucial, as no other channel is as targeted, trackable, or profitable.”
Facebook’s winners announcement highlighted Gallop’s focus on business metrics like ROI, revenue and engagement to judge campaigns’ success, and the automated recommendations it gives marketers to help improve campaigns along those metrics.
Bnotions was ranked 16th on the 2014 Profit 500 list of Canada’s fastest-growing startups. It has 50 employees and 2013 revenue of $5-10 million.
