IBM, Facebook Inc. Hook Up To Ferret Out Customers For Retailers

IBM's data analytics will turn its firepower on users of Facebook Inc.

to help companies ferret out more customers in a deal unveiled Wednesday. http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/46760.wss Armonk, New York-based International Business Machines Corp.

said it formed a partnership with Facebook so marketers can get a clearer picture of their target audiences. "All of this means better ads," Deepak Advani, head of, IBM's Commerce unit said. Retailers will "gain deeper insight into what their customers expect." IBM said it will apply deep analytics to Facebook's aggregate audience insights while adding information from IBM's marketing cloud. As an example of a potentially resulting marketing campaign, IBM said a running gear retailer can use Facebook to obtain insight into the personal preferences of users and, based on a potential customer's location, offer deals on apparel that fit the local weather. Facebook will also be the first to join the IBM Commerce's ThinkLab, a research and collaboration project in which companies will work directly with brands to develop personalized marketing technologies. Financial terms weren't disclosed.