Panels preferred for online measurement James Livesley
The debate over which online audience measurement method should be used by the ad industry took a step forward today, with panel measurement coming out as the preferred option.
The Cross Industry Online Advertising Measurement Committee, which includes the MFA, IAB and AANA, made the announcement following a three month review process, where different measurement methodologies were examined.
The committee has recommended panel measurement, as part of an effort to move Australia’s online ad industry closer to a unified measurement approach.
Panel measurement involves monitoring the website use of a sample audience using software, then multiplying and weighting the results to get a picture of overall use. But the problem with this method is that it can be biased and some smaller sites can be ignored.
The other likely measurement system to be used was tagging which involves publishers putting code into all their pages and then a research company monitoring how many pages are viewed. This method is troublesome however, as it relies on cookies being places into people’s computers which are often deleted each day. Tagging is good for collecting daily data, but flawed when weekly or monthly information is needed.
As a result of the committee’s decision to use panel measurement, firms such as Hitwise and Nielsen Net Ratings will be invited to participate in an audit process to achieve accreditation. To achieve this measurement companies will have to have a minimum panel composition and size, and unified factors used for scaling up the raw data.
The committee will continue to review the alternative system – tagging – which may be more suitable for some sites. However it agreed that page tagging solutions will only be appropriate for daily unique browser measurement rather then weekly or monthly unique browser measurements.
Collin Segelov, executive Director of AANA, said it was good to see the online industry adopting a unified measurement approach like other media. “It's a fact of life that new media opportunities are outpacing marcoms funding at a fantastic rate, and the online survivors will be those affording quality metrics capable of proper and fair comparison with other avenues of commercial communication,” he said.
Starcom’s MD of digital and the MFA representative on the committee said: “Clearly the industry still has some way to go before it can truly offer the measureable environment it has promised since its inception. This accreditation process is a vital step in the continuing process of moving towards full accountability."
