Postmedia is looking to give advertisers more bang for their buck with the purchase of a social amplification platform that it says will help brands boost their presence on social networks.

The publisher acquired the Ampifii plaform from Start23 Inc., a Toronto-based company that helps build cloud-based entities, with the aim of helping brands lift key metrics like engagement and ROI. Ampifii’s founders will join Postmedia, with Josh Merchant as VP, product and Craig Rennick charged with business development.

The buy will allow the ailing publishing brand to grow its brand-focused content business. Ampifii says it delivers a 1.7% average engagement rate on campaigns. Its current clients include retail chain simons, Concodia University, Black Rock, Edmonton Economic Development and the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC).

The publisher says that adding Ampifii to its relatively new content business, Postmedia Content Works, will enhance how it deploys content on social. The lab was reorganized into a single unit in November last year, with the publisher working to re-position its core business strength by building up a lab focused on building content and campaigns for brands.

Andrew MacLeod, EVP and CCO at Postmedia stated in a press release that the acquisition is part of the company’s overall strategy to transform its offerings. “…[A] big part of our future success will hinge on offering innovative new content and advertising solutions in the dominant search and social ecosystems,” he stated.

Postmedia has been using Ampifii for its campaigns for some time now. By purchasing the company, the publisher will be able to further customize the platform to suit its advertiser and campaign needs.

With planning, deploying and reporting all under one roof the company says it will be able to target consumers more effectively, thereby optimizing engagement.