Snapchat has upped the ante on its existing relationship with measurement firm Nielsen, inking a new deal that will allow advertisers using the platform to target customers using the latter's offline purchase data. 

The pair claim that clients will now be able to purchase inventory across more than 30,0000 segments (such as age, gender and various buying behaviors on different platforms) using data like Nielsen's 'buyer insights' and 'catalina solutions', which are usually based on offline loyalty card and credit card data.

The move brings Snap closer in line with platforms like Twitter and Pinterest. 

Having famously denounced overtly "creepy" advertising when it first came to market, Snapchat's latest integration is similar to an Oracle-powered feature it has offered for the past 18 months that lets advertisers target consumers based on real-word purchases.

The tie-up will also allow Nielsen's marketing cloud data management platform (DMP) clients to take advantage of its first-party data segments and target customers using it within Snap's walls.

So now, if a Snapchat user buys sunglasses in a bricks-and-mortar store and the purchase is logged by Nielsen, advertisers can then go on to serve them relevant ads.

"Discovering the audiences that drive engagement and offline sales has never been more critical for marketers, and we're excited to continue our work with Snapchat across both our premium audience segments and measurement solutions," said Jessica Hogue, senior vice-president of digital solutions at Nielsen.

"This integration with Snapchat will allow partners to plan, activate and analyze marketing initiatives by accessing the highest quality audience data in the market underpinned by Nielsen."

Snap already works closely with Nielsen, subscribing to its digital ad ratings (DAR) service to measure mobile video audiences. It also lets advertisers measure the effectiveness of its ads via the company. 

Snap recently opened up its marketing API to appeal to a broader set of advertisers.