NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With influencer marketing fraud in the spotlight there has been a heightened focus on adtech companies and agencies developing solutions to detect fraudulent behavior and deliver authentic return-on-investment figures. In an industry-leading move to bring transparency to influencer marketing, Horizon Media has partnered with Captiv8, the largest Artificial Intelligence (AI) Powered Branded Content Platform, as the first agency to provide verified reporting at the agency level. The partnership will take effect in 2019.

The partnership will more efficiently combat influencer fraud and offer unbiased, verified and independent measurement and reporting for the agency’s influencer marketing campaigns.

“Influencer fraud is a serious concern and advanced technologies allow us to cast the spotlight on fake followers and accounts, fraudulent engagement and automated comments, so that we can accurately measure our campaign performance,” said Sae Cho, Director of Social Strategy and Influence at Horizon Media. “By independently verifying the authenticity of audiences for every influencer we work with, we can ensure our client’s valuable marketing spend is allocated in the most efficient way possible.”

“Captiv8 ensures brands know who they are reaching, how they are performing and providing confidence and protection against any fraudulent activity on branded content. We are proud to be one of the only platforms with the technology that enable brands and agencies to verify creators and fully measure the success of their campaigns,” said Krishna Subramanian, Co-Founder, Captiv8.

In another industry first, Horizon is also the first to integrate its proprietary influencer scoring system within Captiv8’s platform to assess risk and potential return from every creator engaged.

This partnership is the first of many steps that Captiv8 and Horizon will explore as they work together to tighten the reins on fraud in branded content.

To learn more about Captiv8’s verified measurement and reporting go to http://sites.captiv8.io/verified-reporting .

About Horizon Media Horizon Media , Inc. is a global leader in the performance-driven application of data and marketing insights. The company was founded in 1989, is headquartered in New York with offices in Los Angeles and Toronto. Recognized as one of the world’s ten most innovative marketing and advertising companies by Fast Company, Horizon Media was honored by MediaPost as its Media agency of the Year this year. The company has been recognized as U.S. Media Agency of the Year by Adweek and AdAge, and Independent Media Agency of the Year by Mediapost. Renowned for its incredible culture, Horizon is also consistently named to all the prestigious annual Best Places to Work lists published by Fortune, AdAge, Crain’s New York Business and Los Angeles Business Journal. Bill Koenigsberg served as the Chairman of the 4A’s Board of Directors from 2014 to 2017, and currently serves as Vice Chair of the 4A’s Board of Directors. Bill was the first person from a media agency to hold this prestigious position in the 100-year history of the 4As, the marketing industry’s leading trade association. Horizon Media has estimated billings of more than $8.7 billion and over 2,300 employees.

About Captiv8 Captiv8 is the largest AI powered branded content platform, connecting brands to digital influencers and creators to tell powerful stories. Marketers leverage the platform to discover creators, create buzz-worthy content, manage their campaigns, and measure results. At the core of the platform is Insights, a social listening tool with real-time audience data across Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. The company was founded in 2015 and has offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. For more information, visit www.captiv8.com.

For further information please contact:

Horizon Media Kaya Lobaczewski klobaczewski@horizonmedia.com

Captiv8 Laura Danforth laura@captiv8.io