clypd collaborates with ATSG to define standards for TV audience targeting

clypd Collaborates with Industry Consortium ATSG to Define Standards for Advanced Audience Targeting in TV; Nielsen Among First to Adopt

NEW YORK, NY — The Advanced Target Standards Group, a consortium of leading network TV programmers, along with CIMM’s Advanced TV Committee, today announced that the Calculation Principles for Advanced Targets, published last year, will be implemented in Nielsen’s Advance Audience Posting API.

“We know that the currency is evolving and Nielsen will remain at the center of providing the industry with the metrics needed to transact,” said Kelly Abcarian, SVP of Product Leadership, Nielsen. “The ATSG Calculation Principles are a great first step towards bringing consensus to advanced audience measurement and we are pleased to be among the first to implement these standards. We are committed to bringing independence and consistency to this space, and as a result, we are innovating to ensure advanced audiences can be monetized in a seamless way.”

Keith Kazerman, SVP Client Solutions of Discovery Networks commented, “We’ve been using these calculation methods in our Discovery Engage advanced audience deals for over 18 months. Because of the ATSG’s work on standards, we and our clients are confident that our advanced audience deals are being measured accurately and consistently.”

“Getting the numbers right is critical, but with the proliferation of measurement and data in the market, accuracy and transparency are not always guaranteed. The ATSG Calculation Principles reflect broad industry consensus about how advanced audiences should be counted in linear TV” said Pete Doe, Chief Research Officer at clypd. “Additionally, they are open source, as we all agreed that was crucial for the development of the industry. We’re excited that Nielsen has chosen to implement them.”

The ATSG has also released new resource materials on the ATSG website, including:

• First-Party Advanced Audience Data: Considerations and Guidelines

  This document lays out the key issues that need to be addressed with the use of first-party data, such as target size, utility, completeness and consistency, and the fidelity of the data when matched to relevant audience measurement data.

  ATSG member David Ernst of A+E Networks commented, “We are seeing more and more interest from advertisers and agencies wanting to incorporate their own data into their national TV advertising. The opportunities here are great, but there are also challenges with first-party data that need to be considered. This new ATSG document provides a comprehensive but readable overview of key considerations and guidelines for anyone working in this space.”

• ROI/Effectiveness POV

  The use of advanced audiences in national TV campaigns has coincided with a focus on effectiveness. The ATSG has published a point of view on effectiveness measurement for TV.

  “Any measurement that improves our understanding of how TV advertising delivers on advertiser objectives is welcome,” said Tom Ziangas of AMC Networks. “For television, that has to include a clear view of the advertising objectives and the metrics that are being used to measure campaign success. TV works at all levels of the effectiveness funnel and any effectiveness measurement needs to reflect that. It takes a first impression to get a last click.”

• Data Labeling

  The ATSG has created a data labeling framework for TV measurement data, to help guide data users through the increasingly crowded TV measurement data environment that includes Panel, STB, OTT and ACR data sets. This data labeling operates at two levels – a top-line description of the basic attributes such as sample size, coverage and projectibility, and a more detailed assessment that covers areas such as reported metrics, data granularity, and reporting frequency and latency.

  ATSG member Jonathan Steuer, Chief Research Officer at Omnicom Media Group, first suggested the data labeling concept that has now been embraced across the industry. Steuer said of the initiative, “The ATSG focus on TV data sets for these labels complements other initiatives in play in the digital space and provides a useful set of considerations for anyone deciding which data set can best inform better TV advertising outcomes for their clients.”

In other news, the ATSG announced that Howard Shimmel, President, Janus Strategy & Insights, LLC and former Turner and Nielsen executive, has joined the group in an advisory capacity.

Shimmel stated, “I’m extremely happy to be advising ATSG. Their efforts will be instrumental in helping the industry to transition to audience buying and selling, and maximizing the benefits that sellers and buyers gain.”