According to a letter obtained by B&C, Nielsen has invited 75 clients from top advertising and media companies to a meeting next Friday (10/16) to discuss “a possible melding of TV and online audiences.” In the letter, Nielsen President Sara Erichson writes of Nielsen’s online ratings services, “these initiatives are very compatible with Nielsen’s television ratings system; that is, audiences viewing television programs online could be included in Nielsen’s national TV ratings, including C3.” B&C’s Claire Atkinson reports:
“The letter says the purpose of the meeting is to “discuss the work that Nielsen is doing to develop the capability to measure online video viewing in the National People Meter panel and to share our thoughts on potentially aligning that effort with these industry developments. Most importantly, the purpose of this meeting is to get your feedback and input on these plans.”
As we noted, several major media and ad execs launched the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement, a consortium focusing on “cross-platform measurement” and a supposed Nielsen challenger, in September.