For many advertisers, online ad metrics can be confusing, especially when you try to combine the numbers with traditional media metrics. So Nielsen is planning to roll out a new metric based on TV’s “gross rating points” for Facebook and other online ad platforms.
Called the “Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings” service, it’s currently in testing by 80 brands with a public launch date of Aug. 15, reports ClickZ. Nielsen explains how it works:
The new system will use an innovative, patent-pending process combining traditional Nielsen TV and online panel data with aggregated, anonymous demographic information from participating online data contributors. Using its unique approach, Nielsen will be able to provide reach, frequency and Gross Rating Point (GRP) measures for online advertising campaigns of nearly any size, running nearly anywhere on the web.
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Facebook has been an early partner, working with Nielsen to make its ad platform more approachable to traditional media buyers. Facebook is also working with Comscore, which just launched a tool for Facebook advertisers based on GRPs. “The (Comscore) service focuses on measuring the impact of how big companies use Facebook’s fan pages and the ‘like’ button as well as what individuals say on their own pages about specific products and services,” explains the WSJ. Facebook will add GRP metrics in an upcoming release of an expanded Insights product, its suite of audience and advertising metrics.
Will a reach-and-frequency approach attract more advertisers? Perhaps, but even Nielsen admits its an incomplete view. “Reach alone doesn’t tell the whole story, however, and Nielsen intends to combine the ratings with cross-platform advertising effectiveness metrics,” explains Nielsen’s Steve Hasker.