Content Labeling and Data Transparency Initiatives Updates

When it comes to cross platform measurement, if you can’t identify a piece of content, you can’t measure it and if you can’t measure it you can’t monetize it. Further, if you don’t know what is in the dataset you’re using, the results may be suspect. That is why two major data labeling initiatives (content labeling and data transparency), recently showcased at the CIMM Conference, are poised to take cross-media measurement to the next level.

Ad-ID and EIDR for Content
Harold Geller, Executive Director, Ad-ID and Will Kreth, Executive Director, EIDR have been instrumental in creating industry standard labels that enable the seamless tracking of both ads and programming across all platforms and devices. Geller explained that now over 400 advertisers are using Ad-ID for their advertisements and in order to make the cost of entry more affordable, Ad-ID prefixes are now free to registrants. Kreth noted that programming labeling has had a positive effectthat reduces friction. EIDR has seen rapid growth recently, reaching 2 million content records as of the end of 2018.


Data Transparency Label for Data
According to David Kohl, President and CEO, TrustX, audience and identity data are the foundation for billions of dollars in marketing and media spending. “But not all data is created equal,” he warned. “It is important to create a label that tells us exactly what is inside the data.”

To that end, a data transparency label has been developed that looks like an ingredients label found on food packages. This label enables all users – both advertisers and programmers – to know what type of data is inside. This label will help answer questions such as: How did data get created? Where did it come from? Who is the owner? What audience segments are used and how was the segment constructed? Was it modeled and where did the data come from? Is it household, device or individual, an id, a cookie, a set top box, zip or address?

Both content labeling and data transparency labels are designed to provide a level of trust for the industry. For Kohl, this is just the beginning. “We are on a journey,” he explained. “We are looking for industry feedback and plan to evolve the label over time.”

This article first appeared in Cynopsis.

Preparing for Cross Platform Measurement. Q&A with Harold Geller

Harold Geller, Chief Growth Officer, Ad-ID LLC actually studied to be a journalist. But he soon ventured into television production because of his affinity for backend operations. Little did he know at the time that this interest and aptitude would lead him into media buying and eventually into inventory management and ad identification. “I have always thought that we could do things better and more efficiently,” he explained.

Geller has been working closely with Jane Clarke, CEO and Managing Director of the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM), to ingrain Ad-ID in the measurement ecosystem. Ad-ID has its roots in the ISCI code and may be the solution to today’s complex world of ad identification across platforms. I sat down with Geller who shared his views on the origins of Ad-ID, current ad identification, television today and the future growth of the ad identification ecosystem.  

Charlene Weisler: You started your career in production. Tell me about your move into the agency world.

Harold Geller: I went into advertising as a media buyer. Our agency (Foster Advertising in Toronto) had a big government contract where the client complained about the time it took to post. My idea in 1984 was to provide desk-based personal computers equipped with Lotus 1-2-3, and we were able to turn around the post buys much faster. At the time, that was pushing the edge of technology. Then I worked at O&M in Canada as the Director of Media Technology before moving to the U.S. in the same role at O&M in New York. I worked with Irwin Gottlieb when MindShare started up in a role we called “strategic technology” developing client extranets, document sharing portals and media planning tools.

Charlene Weisler: What is Ad-ID?

Harold Geller: In 1969 the ISCI code was conceived by a group of ad execs, including David Dole, then an account executive at Leo Burnett in Chicago, because of the need for unique IDs for ads. We had word processors and binders for the eight character ISCI code which made identification easy since most advertisers had only one agency of record in those days, but these codes were only supposed to last 10 to 15 years. Fast forward into the 2000s. There was a need to replace ISCI codes with a more scalable method. The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As) agreed to jointly fund the development of the Ad-ID system, to replace ISCI. 

Ad-ID is the advertising registration authority for measurement, for interoperability and to exchange information on ads. It is a centralized metadata repository for ads. In 2007 we had 300 advertisers registered. Today we have almost 3,000 and are poised to grow even more in the next 18-24 months. As Chief Growth officer of Ad-ID, I connect the dots where people didn’t know dots existed – bringing together the engineering, measurement and advertising communities, all of whom have a stake in the efficiency of advertising workflow.

Charlene Weisler: What is CEA – Complete External Access?

Harold Geller: CEA is the capability through which media outlets, online publishers and approved measurement companies can access Ad-ID codes and related metadata stored in the Ad-ID system. Historically ad metadata has needed to be re-keyed between 20 and 30 times in an ad’s journey through the supply chain. Mistakes in entering data can be made along the way, which makes the ads harder to track and measure. 

In addition, many competitive reporting programs from companies like Nielsen and Kantar ascribe ad information by having people view the ad and then assigning it to a manufacturer and product. All of that is guessing. For example, viewership of a Tide commercial could be for Extra Strength Tide, but that fact may not be noted by the person recording it. Now, with CEA, the metadata is exchanged accurately and efficiently so none of the ad’s identifying information slips through the cracks.

Charlene Weisler: So Ad-ID is a way to prepare to measure ads across platforms?

Harold Geller: Yes. We now have thousands of channels across multiple platforms. Advertisers want to be able to reach consumers wherever they are. If you have a unique code for the ad and the metadata for that ad, you can serve it into media that matches the ad’s content via its metadata. Ad-ID makes ad placement more efficient and automated. We are in a world of one-to-one communication with dynamic ad insertion and are moving toward less manual commercial placement decisions. Metadata enables us to make better and more advanced decisions. 

This process is seamless if all metadata is in the same place. The registration of ads through Ad-ID as the central authority establishes a source for standardized metadata and is the foundation of process improvement. This takes away the need for the ad’s identification information to be rekeyed as it travels through the advertising ecosystem because all of that information is in the metadata. This leads to measurement that is more granular and timelier, and enables measurement across multiple platforms– even if that platform is a screen on a refrigerator door.

Charlene Weisler: What is your definition of TV?

Harold Geller: The definition of TV is evolving as we speak. Content is consumed across many platforms not just via a television set. Each platform may present the same content, however there is nuance in the way each device is used to consume content. Video as a medium is what matters.

This article first appeared in www.Mediapost.com

No Asset Identification, No Monetization of Cross Platform

The world of asset identification can be a bit confusing. What exactly is asset identification? What are the different types? Why is it so important? These questions and more were answered at the Digital Management Association conference where I moderated a panel titled: Asset Identification – If You Can’t Identify It, You Can’t Measure It. If You Can’t Measure It You Can’t Monetize It. The panelists - Jane Clarke of the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement ( CIMM), MAGNA’s Janice Finkel-Greene, Ad-ID’s Harold Geller and NBCU’s Steven Hernandez - engaged in a lively discussion of asset identification from both the programming and advertising perspective.

To some, asset identification is an arcane part of content tracking but as these panelists emphasized, ignore it at your peril. Janice Finkel-Greene likens asset identification to plumbing in a house. “Before you can paint the walls and add furniture, you need the plumbing to make the house habitable. Asset identification is like plumbing. You need it to install it before you can do all of those other things.”

The benefits of asset identification are numerous and valuable. Jane Clarke explains, “There are a host of benefits including helping companies determine the impact of each separate creative/media, measuring synergistic impact of cross-media combinations and effect of entire campaigns, and identifying best practices and innovating new methods for ROI and ROMO analysis such as dynamic ad insertion.”

According to Harold Geller, “Asset Identification is two things, a unique identifier and standardized ‘domain specific’ descriptive information (metadata). In order for an identifier to be unique, it must be assigned by a central authority, also known as a registration authority and in the case of our industry, that would be Ad-ID for Ads, and EIDR for long form content. These sorts of central authorities exist in other domains, such as UPC that identifies trade items like packaged goods, and ISBN that identifies books.” In the case of EIDR, there is one more component to asset identification:  an enterprise level Web service that allows EIDRs to be looked up in real time as part of an advertising work flow. 
 

There are 3 stages related to the asset identification process according to Geller:

Step 1: Register all video assets with Ad-ID and EIDR registries.

Step 2: Operationalize asset and ID flow-through using a “digital slate”. This is the ID flow-through within supply chain infrastructures (Agencies, vendors, media outlets).

Step 3: Embed Ad-ID and EIDR in all media measurement and reporting.

There are many forms of asset identification including watermarking and fingerprinting. Many embedded codes are proprietary to a particular company. Is it possible to agree on a standard way to register and identify assets? Geller says “Yes, the 4A's and ANA advocate the use of Ad-ID, 900 advertisers are already using it, CIMM has articulated the value of unique identification with its TAXI initiative, and now with the SAG-AFTRA mandate for Ad-ID (between 70 & 90% of Video ads, and 1/3 or Audio Ads use union talent) there is no reason why every advertiser wouldn't use Ad-ID.  About 1/3 of all major program producers now use EIDR - Entertainment ID Registry – (including all six major studios and all of their broadcast and cable network properties), so the critical mass is building for that as well. The costs associated with this registration are insignificant compared to the innovation, and improvements they enable.”

However, Clarke believes that asset identification actually has “a slower roll-out since it requires a lot of infrastructure changes at media companies, who already have in-house methods of identifying and keeping track of their assets.” But she advocates standardization, “Both the buy and sell sides need to embrace open-standard asset registries within their content and advertising supply-chains. This has already been determined to be feasible, now it needs to be adopted.  For our part, the next phase of the TAXI initiative is underway with CIMM and SMPTE (The Society for Motion Pictures and Television Engineers) having launched a Study Group to identify an open binding technology standard for persistent content identification in audio video essence. Achieving this will be a critical step for industry-wide adoption of a UPC for all professional video content and advertising.”

There are challenges to implementing a standardized form of asset identification and part of the challenge is based on how we code programs and sell television today. Finkel-Greene explains, “In general, asset identification is seen as a method to collect information about commercial placements after the ads have run. This is only half the issue for agencies. In addition to the ‘look back’ scenario we also need a ‘look forward’ solution.  Often, as happens during the network Upfronts, commercials are scheduled in programs BEFORE those programs have any standard names, much less codes, NTI, EIDR or otherwise. There is nothing to link the expected show, Two and ½ Men to actual content labeled Two and a Half Men, 2 ½ Men or 2.5 Men.” It all needs to be reconciled after the fact which is not only time consuming but also has the potential for error.

Some believe that it may not be as difficult as we anticipate; Although EIDRs are generally created before scheduling data is sent out for program guides, there’s a well-defined hierarchy for Series-Season- Episode, so episode number can be added and associated to a season/series at a later time. But for others, it is not automatic enough. “My job is not impacted by asset identification; it’s impacted by the lack of it” says Finkel-Greene, “The depth and diversity of new measurement methods and sources is rivaled only by the breadth and diversity of the naming conventions that come with it. Each new data stream requires human intervention for integration into existing reports, throwing a manual monkey wrench into the automated machinery.”

How intricate is the actual identification code? Geller says, “The standardized ‘domain specific’ descriptive information (metadata) for an Ad is the Slate, agency name, advertiser name, product name, brand name, Ad title, Ad size / Length , which today is a visual (analog) object at the start of an ad, and must become ‘digital’ information embedded in the file, thus a ‘digital slate’.

So what are the next steps? “The adoption rate is slow because we’ve not made a compelling case for asset identification,” explains Finkel-Greene, “We need to clearly articulate the benefits of detection not only for measurement and reporting but the financial advantages associated with monetization of assets and modernization legacy process.”

Cross Platform Measurement with Help From CIMM

One of the most frenetic areas of measurement development today is in cross platform. Creative and scalable solutions are being crafted that enable programmers and advertisers to gain a more complete picture of how the usage of various media platforms compare to and blend within each other.  There is no standard yet, but there are a myriad of possible semi-solutions that can link some, but not yet all, platforms under one metric. Progress is being made and it is only a matter of time (and data) before we get to a complete and scale-able measurement.

CIMM’s annual Summit this past week focused on cross platform measurement. True to its name and mission, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement seeks to transform the way audiences are measured. Managing Director Jane Clarke has a clear vision of CIMM’s mission in cross platform and has been a great advocate of advancements in measurement. She said, “This year’s Summit showcased that exciting new methodologies to better understand the complexities of cross-platform media measurement are being formed, and the industry as a whole is taking notice.”

The half day meeting included an update on CIMM’s TAXI (Trackable Asset Cross Platform Identifier) Initiative which CIMM launched two years ago and which CIMM continues to support in the form of project investment and analyses. TAXI’s importance is being recognized. Jane explained that “the widespread industry adoption of Ad-ID and EIDR coding for all advertising and video content assets, the goal of our TAXI initiative, received resounding support from Summit attendees.”

TAXI, with its advocacy of a UPC type standard for content (both programming and advertising) across all platforms, is one very important area of need in developing cogent measurement. And the need goes beyond measurement. Citing the four “R’s of asset identification, Research, Royalties, Rights and Residuals, it is clear that the importance of verifying asset exposure across platforms serves many purposes. While TAXI's first recommendation is to register assets using Ad-ID and EIDR, there is also an initiative to develop an open standard for binding the metadata to the asset, so it won't be lost through transcoding and compression. This may be with a watermark or fingerprint technology (ACR) or by using the closed captioning space in TV broadcasting. 

In a panel on the Roadmap for Cross-Platform “Exposure” Measurement, the value of asset identification was estimated to be $2.5 billion in recurring economic benefit to the industry. So this issue is no small stakes and the challenges to overcome are not difficult, costly or insurmountable. Janice Finkel-Greene of MAGNA Global gave one example. “Without a standard, it is hard to get show titles to match”. Titles are input by humans and even a simple miss-spelling can cause hours of extra clean-up work. Once a standard code is appended to all content, the match will be based on the code itself and not the capricious spelling of the content title. As Harold Geller of Ad-ID explained, “If you can’t identify it, you can’t operationalize it. If you can’t operationalize it you can’t measure it. And if you can’t measure it you can’t monetize it.” That in itself should be a compelling argument for the adoption of a standard coding system.

ESPN has embarked on an ambitious hybrid solution for cross platform measurement with Project Blueprint combining TV, Radio, PC and Mobile data via Arbitron and comScore. As ESPN’s Artie Bulgrin explains, “The knowledge gaps about how people consume media across multiple platforms are growing and so are the business implications. Our goal is not to create new currencies, but to provide an essential layer of research that begins to mitigate those gaps with a scalable, on-going measurement solution. What makes Project Blueprint so unique is that it combines the breadth of reporting from ‘big data’ measures (census analytics) with the depth of persons-level data from single-source panels.” 

 

All in all, the CIMM Summit proved to be an industry changing event, moving asset identification and cross platform measurement forward. “Our event was a success,” Jane Clarke said, “and CIMM will continue sparking discussions to help marketers make smarter ad buy decisions and receive better return on their ad dollar investments.” 

A solution to cross platform measurement appears closer than ever.