Target, GroupM Among Partners Testing NBCU Measurement Tools

NBCUniversal has assembled a stacked cast for its new forum dedicated to developing and testing new advertising industry measurement products. Called the Measurement Innovation Forum, it comprises nearly three dozen brands, agencies and trade bodies, whose involvement NBCUniversal announced today. The members include trade bodies and industry associations like the 4A’s, the Association of National Advertisers, the Ad Council, the Video Advertising Bureau and the Hispanic Marketing Council, as well as major agencies and holding companies including Wieden+Kennedy, Dentsu, Giant Spoon, GroupM, Havas Media, Magna and Publicis Groupe. Several brands are also taking part, including Citi, Ford, L’Oréal, Target, Rocket Mortgage, Volkswagen and Wayfair. OpenAP, the broadcast TV consortium dedicated to advanced TV measurement, is also a member of the forum. The Media Rating Council, the third-party measurement accreditation group that earlier this year stripped third-party accreditation from Nielsen’s national and local TV ratings products, is also involved, but their role is less active participant and more third-party observer, NBCUniversal said. NBCUniversal Pushes for Independent Measurement, Intensifying Pressure on Nielsen The members of the group will participate in testing out new measurement options and providing feedback at the effectiveness of alternative approaches to measuring the industry. “Each partner will have a seat at the table to investigate, share and receive feedback at scale on new measurement yardsticks to help build new measurement blueprint for advertising’s future,” Kelly Abcarian, NBCUniversal’s evp, measurement and impact, advertising and partnerships, said in a blog post about the participants. The line-up of participants comes as NBCUniversal forges ahead its efforts to build out alternative measurement in the wake of the de-accreditation of Nielsen’s TV products and a widespread inertia among broadcasters to come up with alternate products that can be relied upon. The goal, many in the industry have said, is to have multiple currencies on which media can be transacted based on different goals and preferences. It’s harder than it sounds, but NBCUniversal has been one of the loudest in its efforts to find alternatives. Abcarian, who joined NBCUniversal from Nielsen in April, declared the broadcaster’s effort to build alternative measurement options in August and said that the company was seeking out proposals from measurement companies about how best to verify and measure audiencs; today, Abcarian said the company received 80 proposals. “NBCU’s complete measurement initiative is designed with commitment in mind: What we learn, the entire industry will learn. Because, more information fuels more innovation,” Abcarian wrote. “The potential for industrywide innovation makes transparency more important, so that everyone can share in the findings—and the future.” Other broadcasters are also taking steps to find a path forward. In late September, ViacomCBS told marketers it would begin allowing them to transact on metrics provided by VideoAmp instead of traditional Nielsen data.

Measurement

Target, GroupM Among Brand, Agency Partners Testing NBCU’s New Measurement Tools

30+ forum members will evaluate 'new measurement yardsticks' being developed by media company

Kelsey Sutton

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Kelsey Sutton