Contact: Marisa Grimes – 646.654.5759; Marisa.Grimes@nielsen.com
Validates Nielsen’s First-of-its-Kind Internet Advertising Rating System as Meeting Industry-Accepted Standards
New York – September 7, 2011 – Nielsen, a global information and measurement company, today announced that the Media Rating Council (MRC), the industry group that audits and accredits media research companies, has voted to grant accreditation to Nielsen Online Campaign RatingsTM, a new measurement system that provides overnight audience reach, frequency and Gross Rating Points (GRPs) for Internet display and video advertising.
The MRC accreditation certifies that Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings complies with the MRC’s Minimum Standards for Media Rating Research. This is the first Internet measurement system accredited by the MRC that provides demographic ratings for online advertising campaigns. Through its accreditation process, the MRC seeks to secure for the media industry and related users, audience measurement services that are valid, reliable and effective and, in addition to compliance with MRC’s standards, ensure that the product’s methodology, metrics and reports adhere to industry-accepted standards for digital measurement (i.e. the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s applicable Measurement Guidelines).
“This is a significant achievement for Nielsen and the industry as a whole. Advertisers and media companies alike are looking to prove the value of online media and advertising, but have lacked a reliable, standard measurement to demonstrate audience delivery against marketing goals,” said Steve Hasker, President, Media Product and Advertiser Solutions, Nielsen. “Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings provides the trusted metrics needed to prove the true value of advertising on a site, in terms that are familiar to brand marketers and comparable to other media. MRC accreditation is a critical step to ensuring both buyers and sellers have absolute confidence in the information they use to plan and negotiate online advertising.”
“The MRC applauds Nielsen for successfully completing the accreditation process for its Online Campaign Ratings audience measurement service,” said George W. Ivie, Executive Director and CEO of MRC. “Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings represents a new measurement approach that incorporates data from several sources and MRC accreditation indicates that this process complies with the MRC’s standards, a recognized benchmark for quality and disclosure.”
Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings uses an innovative, patent-pending process combining traditional Nielsen TV and online panel data with aggregated, anonymous demographic information from participating online data providers. Using this unique, hybrid approach, Nielsen is able to provide reach, frequency and GRP measures for Internet advertising campaigns of nearly any size, running nearly anywhere on the web. Campaign reporting is available the day after the launch of a campaign, providing vital delivery information in-flight to both advertisers and publishers.
Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings launched on August 15 and is already being used by several industry leaders including advertisers such as Procter & Gamble, media companies such as Disney/ABC Television Group and Facebook, and major media agencies such as GroupM and Starcom MediaVest.
“Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings, combined with the MRC’s accreditation, is a significant step forward in the much-needed creation of a standardized measurement system for online advertising,” said Lyle Schwartz, Managing Partner and head of Implementation Research and Marketplace Analysis for GroupM. “The ability to analyze consistent multi-screen metrics will provide media planners and buyers with valuable insights into the value of online advertising and its role in the communications spectrum.”
“We’re intrigued by Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings and the potential for significantly increased granularity and accuracy in tracking online ad campaigns, and we’ve been delighted to be a leading partner in exploring its use,” said Charles Kennedy, SVP, Research, ABC Television Network. “MRC accreditation brings added credibility and increases the potential for these ratings to be an important measurement tool in the digital age.”
“Starcom MediaVest Group continues to support the advancement of high quality audience research in the online marketplace,” said Kate Sirkin, EVP, Global Research, Starcom MediaVest Group. “The recent accreditation of Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings by the MRC demonstrates that the creative approach taken by Nielsen to this challenging problem is a very viable proposition. Online Campaign Ratings now provides both agencies and advertisers with the confidence that their campaigns are reaching their desired audience, and delivers appropriate metrics for post campaign analysis to understand how the campaigns worked to drive sales or other valuable brand behaviors. We look forward to encouraging other publishers to join this initiative and continue to scale the solution for the entire online audience.”
“Learning more about the exact audiences reached via our online campaigns is critically important to us, which is why we are excited about incorporating Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings into our media buying processes,” said Jeff Jarrett, Global Director, Digital Marketing, Kimberly-Clark. “The “green light” from the Media Rating Council gives us additional confidence that this tool is ready for prime time.”
“Nielsen has developed a technology innovation that supports privacy and helps builds trust between buyers and sellers on a broad scale,” said Ted McConnell, EVP, Digital for the Advertising Research Foundation. “Having something this technically complex validated by a 3rd party like the MRC is especially important for the industry and will help buyers sleep better.”
About MRC
The MRC is a non-profit Industry association established in 1964 composed of leading television, radio, print and internet companies, as well as advertisers, advertising agencies and trade associations whose goal is to ensure measurement services that are valid, reliable and effective. Measurement services desiring MRC accreditation are required to disclose to their customers all methodological aspects of their service; comply with the MRC Minimum Standards for Media Rating Research; and submit to MRC-designed audits to authenticate and illuminate their procedures. In addition, the MRC membership actively pursues research issues they consider priorities in an effort to improve the quality of research in the marketplace. Currently approximately 60 research products are audited by the MRC. Additional information about MRC can be found at https://www.mediaratingcouncil.org.
About Nielsen
Nielsen Holdings N.V. (NYSE: NLSN) is a global information and measurement company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and related properties. Nielsen has a presence in approximately 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA and Diemen, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.
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