How Nielsen, Comscore, Samba TV and Innovid Measured Up at NewFronts

Measurement played a big role during Thursday’s virtual IAB NewFronts presentations, with Nielsen, Comscore, Innovid and Samba TV all pitching marketers on why their solutions are the strongest when it comes to increased fragmentation in the industry. “I don't think it'll be a surprise to any of you guys to know that streaming is growing at a faster pace outside of live events, that’s where [people] consume video content, and this fundamentally has shifted power,” said Ameneh Atai, general manager of digital audience measurement at Nielsen, noting that fragmentation in streaming services is a big measurement challenge. “If you’re measuring using machines or devices versus people, you’re not going to be able to understand this viewing behavior,” said Atai. “So the role that we have to play here for a better media future is to ensure the right ad is in front of the right audience.” Nielsen’s pitch to marketers highlighted how the company has been working with “big data” for nearly a decade, but that the future of measurement combines reach of big data verified personal data, and Nielsen is ready to evolve the currency through the upcoming launch of Nielsen One. Comscore's new product Comscore’s presentation focused on trends that have emerged since the pandemic, including an increased number of connected TV devices in households, the number of CTV households and increased consumption, alongside an uptick in digital online spending. The measurement company launched its new product Comscore Total Digital, part of its Insight Studio suite. The offering combines digital, CTV and social media measurement. “You can see all of that in one place, and particularly around finding these moments to connect authentically with consumers,” said Yuki. Since January 2020, the number of CTV households has grown by 24%, and consumption has grown by 58%, according to CMO Tania Yuki. “Each viewing household is watching considerably more than they were pre pandemic and we are not seeing that pullback, at least not yet,” she said. “We haven't lost consumer attention. But the composition of that attention does continue to shift. And the other trend that really we're here to talk about most today is this new headwind of the consumer being in charge and being this new decision maker.” Innovid highlights fragmentation Innovid has noticed several fundamental changes as streaming continues to mature: business models, expansion of international media and expanded creative capability. Tal Chalozin, CTO and co-founder of Innovid, noted that 89% of consumer time is spent with ad-supported media. “Changing the business model of streaming and accounting for less non ad-supported media and rolling out more ad supported is just obvious that it's going to happen,” he said. “Even in the new era of televisions still utilization of any technologies or new capabilities coming from the world of connected television is still very, very small.” Chalozin said the company is rolling out a new benchmark with data from Innovid to help marketers make informed buys. Samba TV’s far-reaching data Samba TV focused on its vast data collections and how the company can take a more scientific approach to advertising while creating a better viewing experience. “Connected TV represents the fastest growing segment of the overall media and advertising ecosystem. But it still very much feels like the frontier because a lot of the disruption and innovation that we've seen in digital has yet to happen intelligently in the living room,” said co-founder and CEO Ashwin Navin. “There's a fundamental problem in the ecosystem, and it all comes back to fragmentation,” added co-founder and COO Alvir Navin. The company noted how data is highly fragmented and siloed across walled gardens, device ecosystems and operating systems, and pitched Samba to marketers as a neutral option to declutter the landscape, not in competition with inventory owners. Samba TV also highlighted its Q1 2022 State of Viewership report that analyzed more than 20 billion hours of television viewing across both linear and streaming, and found that 94% of all linear ads reached just the same 55% of audiences. The company also has a partnership with Disney as its third-party measurement solution, and emphasized its guaranteed incremental reach currency iCPM. “We're bringing Samba TV's true reach and frequency currency to advertisers who are accessing Disney's inventory, which enables a more holistic assessment of how campaigns are performing in real time with the ability to optimize on those insights,” said Aswhin Navin. “For the upfronts our entire focus is on enabling our advertising partners, both the agencies and brands to get a better result from their existing budget.”