Awards & Press

Ovative Group Wins Digiday Technology Award for Best Marketing Analytics Platform and Earns Finalist Spot for Best Data Team

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. August 31, 2023 – Ovative Group, a national independent media and measurement firm, is a winner of Digiday’s Technology Award for Best Marketing Analytics Platform and a finalist for Best Data Team. The Digiday Technology Awards recognize companies that are using technology to modernize media and marketing. These two awards highlight Ovative’s unified marketing measurement tool, MAP, and its ability to holistically measure full-funnel marketing effectiveness for clients. 

Ovative uses MAP alongside its holistic metric, Enterprise Marketing Return (EMR), to consistently measure and optimize marketing investments. MAP measures media performance to determine the value of each marketing touchpoint along a consumer’s path to purchase, generating actionable insights. This tool provides the most comprehensive view of a marketing program, combining customer data and advanced modeling to unlock incremental revenue and customer potential. 

In an ever-changing market, Ovative uses MAP to overcome industry challenges, including third-party cookie depreciation, navigating increasingly complex data, and platform algorithm changes. By partnering closely with platforms like Meta and Google, and diversifying into newer platforms like TikTok, Ovative has adjusted quickly and exceeded client goals through this new approach. 

“We’re thrilled to be honored with Digiday’s Technology Award for Best Marketing Analytics Platform and to be named a finalist for Best Data Team,” says Beth McKigney, Senior Vice President of Measurement at Ovative. “These awards are a testament to our passion for transforming marketing measurement through innovation, and the power of combining technology with a team of experts to drive impact for clients.”  

Ovative has grown exponentially in recent years, expanding its client base to include top brands from industries such as retail, CPG, healthcare, hospitality, and various others. Included in this list are accessory and lifestyle brand, Tapestry (housing Coach, Kate Spade New York, and Stuart Weitzman); wellness technology company, Sleep Number, and many others. In the past two years alone several new brands, including home and holiday superstore, At Home; and leading private online health insurance marketplace, eHealth, joined Ovative’s impressive roster. 

The Digiday Technology Awards highlight how companies are adopting new technologies in pursuit of highly effective personalization balanced with data privacy. See the full 2023 roster of winners here 

ABOUT OVATIVE GROUP  

Ovative Group is an independent media and measurement firm that helps clients drive and deliver measurable marketing performance. Founded in 2009 by Dale Nitschke, Ovative brings media, measurement, and consulting together under one roof to measure the holistic impact of marketing on clients’ total business using its proprietary metric, Enterprise Marketing Return (EMR). Ovative’s team of marketing experts serves as a trusted partner for its national world-class client base of marketing leaders across many industries. Ovative is recognized as an industry leader and has received awards including Adweek Fastest Growing Agencies, Star Tribune’s Top Workplaces, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Fast 50, and Inc. 5000. For more information about Ovative, visit ovative.com or follow Ovative on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.    

Media inquiries, please contact: [email protected]    


Lillian Smith

Senior Analyst, Paid Social

About the Author

Lillian is a Senior Analyst on the Paid Social team at Ovative.

Dale Nitschke

Dale Nitschke

CEO & Founder

About the Author

Dale is the Founder and CEO of Ovative. After years of operating a large omni-channel business and leading a customer data initiative, Dale knew there was an opportunity to create a marketing firm that helped clients become more customer centric and drove better performance outcomes. A gap existed between business consultancies and advertising agencies that modern marketing approaches demand. He also believed that a strong, healthy culture could attract and develop smart, talented team members. In 2009, he formed Ovative to bring media, measurement, and consulting together under one roof to enable an enterprise approach that drives more revenue and grows clients’ customer base.

Prior to founding Ovative in 2009, Dale spent 23 years at Target Corporation where he served as President of Target.com and grew the ecommerce business from start-up stage to a $1 billion+ business and established the foundation of Target’s Guest database capabilities. Previously he served as SVP Merchandising at the Department Store Division of Dayton Hudson. Dale has advised retailers and brands globally on business, growth, marketing, and measurement transformation strategies.

Outside of Ovative, Dale is a leader on topics including business strategy, change management, and team leadership. He serves on the board of Allergy Amulet and on the Dean’s Advisory Board of the Wisconsin School of Business at UW-Madison.  He enjoys spending time with his family, up north in northern Wisconsin, playing golf, and cheering on Wisconsin sport teams.

Seth Brand

Senior Manager, Consulting

About the Author

Seth is a Senior Manager on the Consulting team at Ovative.

Amanda McCann

Senior Manager, Consulting

About the Author

Amanda is a Senior Manager on the Consulting team at Ovative, specializing in Retail Media Networks.

Jenny Reinke

Senior Analyst, Measurement Solutions

About the Author

Jenny is a Senior Analyst on the Measurement Solutions team at Ovative.

Annie Zipfel

Executive Vice President, Media

About the Author

Annie is the Executive Vice President of Media at Ovative. She oversees delivery and growth across paid and owned media (digital, traditional, and retail media) and creative services.

Annie has more than 30 years of experience in media, brand management, insights/analytics, marketing, and product. She has also developed large, high-performing teams and built new measurement capabilities. Annie led the marketing team at Andersen Windows & Doors, leading the digital, social, content, customer insights, and creative functions. Prior to that, Annie served in multiple marketing leadership roles at Starbucks, REI, Target, and General Mills, with a keen focus on brand, media, insights, analytics, and measurement.

Annie is an industry leader in brand management, customer insights, e-commerce, social media, and analytics. She enjoys hiking, traveling, cooking, fishing, and spending time with her sweet dog and two sons.

Bonnie Gross

Executive Vice President, Talent Services

About the Author

Bonnie is the Executive Vice President of Talent Services at Ovative. She is responsible for attracting and retaining top talent and creating a culture in which our team thrives personally and professionally. Under Bonnie’s leadership, Ovative has defined an industry leading leadership and development program and transformed our approach to talent recruitment with a focus on diversity, equality and inclusion. Prior to her current role, Bonnie led Ovative’s Client and Business Development team overseeing client satisfaction and new growth opportunities.

Before joining Ovative in 2014, Bonnie spent 13 years at Target Corporate as the VP of digital and Digital Marketing where she led the launch of Cartwheel, an industry-leading social shopping application. Bonnie was the VP of Marketing for Fingerhut for 15 years prior to joining Target.

Leander Cohen

Analyst, Consulting

About the Author

Leander Cohen is an Analyst on the Consulting team at Ovative.

Will Silva

Analyst, Measurement Solutions

About the Author

Will is an Analyst on the Measurement Solutions team at Ovative.

Sarah Chang

Sarah Chang

Analyst, Consulting

About the Author

Sarah Chang is an Analyst on the Consulting team at Ovative.

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