GroupM's Efforts Toward Improved Measurement Standards

As the media ecosystem evolves from linear to cross-platform, buyers and sellers are seeking to bridge 'the measurement gap.' Following an upfront season that lacked significant conversation about measurement, GroupM has developed a roadmap for audience measurement partners to drive the industry towards improved measurement standards. 

“Marketers are leaning into new tools and technologies to bridge the measurement gap, raising important questions about the accuracy and sustainability of panel-based measurement as changes in the digital media environment continue to accelerate beyond one currency,” said Kirk McDonald, Chief Executive Officer, GroupM North America. “Outlining expectations with our measurement partners and working together to implement standards is critical to creating real change that makes advertising work better for our clients and to better track our progress towards client growth goals,” he added.

According to GroupM, its partners will need to incorporate feedback from the buy-side and input from the Association of National Advertisers, gain universal acceptance and utilisation by all media partners, and provide traditional and digital partner coverage, with the opportunity to add new metrics like attention.

The media company also expects its measurement partners to offer fair and accurate audience representation, move towards standardisation and greater transparency, as well as MRC accreditation, provide interoperability across GroupM’s tools and systems, and share new commercial models to fund measurement. 

“The industry requires a robust measurement solution that can solve the problem of cross-screen reach and frequency and is representative of how consumers watch the video,” said Matt Sweeney, Chief Investment Officer, GroupM US.

“There’s a real need in the market for a solution focused on the personification of viewing data and in cross-media measurement that plugs the gaps we see in the alternate currency ecosystem,” said Bharad Ramesh, Executive Director, Research and Investment Analytics, GroupM.

To create value for clients, GroupM is bringing strategy, investment, data, content, and technology together, to provide guidance and best practices, and identify products and partnerships that can support client decision-making. For the 2022/2023 Upfronts and the year ahead, GroupM and its clients will continue to transact using Nielsen data for the Upfronts; while alternative currencies, including outcome-based approaches for some clients, will be used to shadow Nielsen deals.

GroupM is currently testing iSpot, Comscore, Videoamp, and Nielsen One Alpha across more than a dozen of its clients, including Unilever, Nestle, Ferrero, Domino’s, TJX Companies and Mars.