Nielsen ready to measure multi-platform audiences

Last week, the leading media research company said it was joining with Facebook to enhance its rating efficacy for online advertising campaigns. 

This partnership will bring further development in terms of data assessment from Facebook. This developing service called Digital Content Ratings (DCR) will take date from Nielsen’s Facebook panel to assess |content across digital platforms such as texts/pictures, audio and video. 

“In this era where media is driven forward and developed at such a fast pace, the things that media owners, agencies and advertisers want are accurate, quick and effective assessment tools that meet a certain standard. 

“They must address needs and be ready to adapt to ever-changing media trends. And this is what Nielsen’s Digital Ad Ratings is providing in the current market,” Sinthu Peatrarut, managing director of the media business, said last week. 

Early this year, the company launched Digital Ad Ratings and Total Ad Ratings for television and online advertising campaigns. 

It is also developing a system that ensures viewability of ads, affording confidence that the ads are truly viewed in online campaigns. This will be ready for use next year. 

Television ratings (TAM) will be used in Total Ad Ratings, which can measure viewership across platforms such as television, computer, smartphone and tablet.

The assessment tool of Digital Ad Ratings from the US was the only solution in the world that has been backed by the Media Ratings Council of the United States. It has been adapted by 16 countries around world. 

“It is trusted by many advertisers and multinational companies. In Thailand, many leading firms, including agencies and advertisers, have expressed interest in this solution,” he said. 

Television viewers, who were also online media users, were constantly growing. This reflects changing media behaviour among Thai consumers, which is in line with trends in other countries such as Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Malaysia. 

Data show that online media has the highest rate of usage that is consistent throughout the day. The main users of the Internet are those aged 15-49. 

Throughout this year, Nielsen will become more active in participating with local media as a key strategy to engage with the media industry. 

Nielsen is now being challenged by the Media Agency Association of Thailand after the association set up the Media Research Bureau to select the new national provider of multi-platform audience measurement, which includes TV audience measurement. 

The bureau consists of re-|presentatives from free TV broadcasters, media agencies, and cable and satellite TV operators

Nielsen decided to stay away from the selection process, in which UK-based Kantar Media, Japan-based Video Research International and Germany-based GfK took part. Kantar Media is tipped as the winner.