The ARF Sets the Industry Standard for Research and Data

If you are seriously interested in research and the use of data in media, you need to attend the annual ARF conference which took place this week in New York City. This year, presenters from a range of companies offered ground breaking insights into how media can best be measured across platforms, how creative can be fine-tuned neurologically and how individual platforms such as mobile can enhance measurement techniques and add to our knowledge of how consumes behave.

“Studies have shown that 70% of the impact of a campaign is due to the quality of the creative,” explained Jasper Snyder, EVP ‎Research & Innovation for the ARF. “So as well as showcasing key approaches in measuring cross-platform media consumption, this year's Annual Conference highlights today's leaders in brand-building across new, traditional and reinvented platforms - including insights on the six ways to create great mobile advertising,” he added.

The highlights were summed up by Jed Meyer ‎EVP, Corporate Research, Univision Communications. ”There are many changes in our industry,” he said. ”And we need to rise to the occasion to meet this disruption. We are looking at the data industry to help us adjust and we are seeing the importance of creating relevant content.”

Data is the Center of the Universe But …

Data has become vitally important in all aspects of media from buying to selling. But not all data is relevant and not all methodology is sound. “We are awash in data,” warned ARF CEO, Scott McDonald. “Every member company of the ARF is struggling as to how to manage their data and intellectual assets. We are tentative and hesitant as to how to integrate data sources. There are methodological problems, whether they can deliver usable results,” he added.

Wendy Clarke, CEO, DDB North America explained, “Today’s currency is speed. Are agencies keeping pace? Our approach is to be as dynamic as the marketplace. The days of the fixed model are over.” And that is where data comes in. “Data is not a proxy for decision making,” she noted, “But used correctly data can be used to fuel insights and correct decisions.” She also warned, “Data can kill creativity when used in the wrong way and wrong time, but used in the correct way it can enable creativity.”

Agencies Are Undergoing Transformative Change

“Agencies get it,” stated Clarke. “Our jobs are to manage the present and invent the future. It is incredibly difficult to do that exceptionally well.” According to Clarke, this change has to be holistic, using data at the core and offering the ability to capture consumers' "micro moments, macro stories and mega events."

To meet this transformative change, DDB looked at their client’s consumers in a new way. With State Farm, for example, the messaging went from reactive (State Farm is there to help you when things go wrong) to proactive (State Farm is here to help your life go right). “This was driven by deep research analytics and insights and developed into a category breaking idea,” she noted. 

For McDonalds, “We built an entirely new agency; not for McDonalds but for people who wanted to go to McDonalds. We started with research to unleash creativity. Data science sits physically in the center of the agency,” she explained.

Media Companies Look Toward ROAS

No sector of the industry can afford to remain complacent. Media companies need to keep up with the frenetic pace of change. David Poltrack, Chief Research Officer, CBS, believes that, “Many advertisers are not currently realizing the full potential of their TV advertising campaign.” And to that end, he has been developing the Campaign Performance Audit or CPA in partnership with Nielsen Catalina, to help quantify the return on ad spending (ROAS).

“ROAS is defined as the incremental sales lift divided by the campaign spend,” explained Leslie Wood, Chief Research Officer, Nielsen Catalina Solutions, who added, “We take into account flighting, targeting and seasonality. Recency matters a lot here because advertising closer to the actual purchase is more effective.” As relatively new as ROAS is in measuring media, the method for ascertaining the metric is being tweaked.  Wood continued, “We have recently switched from households reached to how many purchases were reached. This is a big step forward.” 

Today’s Needs Are Also Future Needs

McDonald concluded, “Our industry is rife with conflict and uncertainty which can be ameliorated by neutral unimpeachable research. We have big hairy audacious problems such as fraud in the pipeline. But even if we didn't have these problems, we still need to be able to measure ROI, the impact of an ad on a consumer, engagement and emotional response.”

This article first appeared in www.MediaVillage.com

Advancements in Cross Platform Measurement

CIMM, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement recently held its annual Cross-Platform Media Measurement and Data Summit. This year’s conference focused almost exclusively on cross platform which is the hot issue among both media buyers and sellers.

CEO and Managing Director, Jane Clarke, announced CIMM’s 7 criteria for cross platform measurement at the conference. She explained, "CIMM developed our 7 Criteria for measuring cross platform exposure of both content and ads in order to let research vendors know the solutions that the end users are seeking for measuring unduplicated reach."

During this time of media transformation, these seven criteria help to form a foundational consensus for the industry. 

CIMM’s Seven Criteria For Cross Platform Measurement

      1.       We need to go beyond panels. Panels alone are too small to be the only measurement solution for the cross platform world. Panels are also unable to account for out of home viewing - an issue for some networks, notably CNBC. Linda Yaccarino, Chairman, Advertising Sales & Client Partnership is addressing this issue, as she explained, “CNBC Daytime is no longer relying on Nielsen for C3 ratings.”

      2.       We need passive measurement and solutions. The least amount of intrusion is optimal as a myriad of devices vie for viewers’ attention. Manish Bhatia, comScore’s Chief Revenue Officer, noted, “No matter what the media is, passive electronic measurement has been viewed by the industry as the most accurate approach to capturing and reporting media behavior accurately. That is what comScore is doing.”

      3.       Census data are needed across all platforms. As with the importance of going beyond panels, CIMM acknowledges that census level data is needed for all platforms. Clarke explained, "It's important that we point out the need for hybrid combinations of panel data with census-like data across all platforms, including TV Return Path Data." “The data is there to count every consumer“, noted Time Warner Cab le EVP & COO, Media Services, Joan Gillman, “We are only starting to scratch the surface.”

      4.       Measuring individuals is optimal but measuring households is also useful. Targeting households and their behavioral dynamics can also provide actionable insights for marketers. According to Eric Schmitt, EVP Communications and Media at Allant, “Standard household-level segments and ad impression counts across inventory pools, platforms and MVPDs are essential to keeping national TV advertising competitive with the scale and efficiency of online alternatives."

      5.       Measure ads and programming separately. The sooner we move to separate measurements of ads and programs, the better according to Jed Meyer, Global Research Director at Annalect who said, “We are moving from a world of content-based buying to audience-based buying and future measurement systems need to reflect this shift.” The reason, according to Schmitt is that, "Measuring ad audiences is different than programming measurement.  Advertisers have specific segments they want to reach, while programmers are usually looking for as many eyeballs as possible.

      6.       We need common units of analytics and metrics for reporting.  Tom Xenos, MediaVest’s Vice President, Audience & Measurement Solutions believes that, “If we’re ever to make sense of the new cross-media world, we need to adopt a common set of metrics for measuring and evaluating audiences.  Otherwise, we’ll just continue to have a media tower of Babel.” But the quest for common metrics is challenging. When asked which metrics are most important, there was a range of responses. Fernando Arriola, VP and Media Integration, ConAgra Foods, said, “Brand health and sales, how many unduplicated people see the message”, Yaccarino said, “Total audience delivery,’ and Erin Matts, Chief Marketing Officer, Annalect, averred, “The best proxy for sales varies by client. The more metrics are better. The access to a variety of metrics allows us to customize and makes our job easier.”

      7.       Implement an asset identification open standard. CIMM is in the process of crafting an open standard for media asset identification using EIDR and AD-ID, utilizing consultant Chris Lennon, President and CEO, MediAnswers, to help in SMPTE standardization. He explains, “We sent out an RFP and are now gathering test content and refining our test plan to best assess respondent technologies. (We are) also developing a SMPTE Recommended Practice that we will publish along with the eventual Standards document(s) that come out of this effort.”

With these criteria in place, the pace of cross platform measurement solutions should accelerate. An industry-based solution could be close at hand. Let’s hope soon.

This article first appeared in www.MediaBizBloggers.com

Q&A with Annalect's Jed Meyer

Jed Meyer, was recruited by Nielsen out of college and from there launched a stellar career that took him all across the United States and as far as China. His experience includes building the set top box data and web measurement businesses for Nielsen, re-launching television measurement for Nielsen in China and now, as US Research Director for Annalect, he is responsible for all of the day to day research at OMD as well as all of the data driven businesses owned by Annalect itself. In this engaging interview, Meyer talks about his work at Annalect which spans all platforms, Millennial behaviors, Nielsen’s acquisition of Arbitron, set top box data, cross platform and the definition of television. Meyer also shares his insights into the future of media in general.

The six videos of the interview are as follows:

Subject                                      Length (in minutes)

Background                                            (6:31)

Annalect                                                (4:36)

Nielsen and Arbitron and STB Data           (7:04)

Ads and Platforms                                    (5:52)

Nielsen in China                                       (7:02)

Predictions and Next Generation               (6:06)

Charlene Weisler interviews Jed Meyer, US Research Director at Annalect, about his background in this 6:31 minute video:

Jed Meyer talks to Charlene Weisler about his work at Annalect in this 4:36 minute video:

Charlene Weisler talks to Jed Meyer who discusses Nielsen and Arbitron and the use of set top box data in this 7:04 minute video:

Jed Meyer talks to Charlene Weisler about ads and multi platforms in this 5:52 minute video:

What is it like to launch Nielsen in China? Jed Meyer describes his fascinating journey with Charlene Weisler in this 7:02 minute video:

Charlene Weisler interviews Jed Meyer, US Research Director at Annalect, who talks about the media landscape over the next few years as well as the next generation of researchers. This video is 6:06 minutes: