GroupM Provides Roadmap for Audience Measurement Partners

Expectations for measurement partners drafted after Upfronts miss mark on addressing future of measurement

New York, NY (June 6, 2022) – 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 create real change that makes advertising work better for our clients and to better track our progress towards client growth goals.”

GroupM measurement partners will need to:

1. Incorporate feedback from the buy-side and input from the ANA
2. Gain universal acceptance, and utilization by all media partners
3. Provide traditional and digital partner coverage, with the opportunity to add new metrics like attention
4. Provide fair and accurate audience representation
5. Move towards standardization and greater transparency and plan to undertake the MRC audit process (if not already accredited)
6. Provide interoperability across GroupM’s tools and systems
7. 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 video,” said Matt Sweeney, Chief Investment Officer, GroupM US. “The industry agrees that panel-dependent measurement needs to shift to a transparent path built on a stable, reliable methodology and a foundation of proven technology, which captures the shift in viewer consumption habits.”

“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 to 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 testing iSpot, Comscore, Videoamp, and Nielsen One Alpha across more than a dozen of its largest clients – including Unilever, Nestle, Ferrero, Domino’s, TJX Companies and Mars – to get familiar with the data and the providers’ capabilities.

“As we reframe what measurement looks like in this new environment, we are looking forward to partnering with GroupM to establish test and learn pilots for our brands, develop a framework for KPI-based measurement approaches, and move toward a single currency,” said Rob Master, Vice President of Media and Marketing at Unilever. “This process will enable us to consider what the measurement ecosystem should look like as audiences embrace new technologies and consume content in different ways.”

“The capabilities of the alternate measurement currency providers are rapidly growing, and we will be using this year to test and learn with these providers,” said Dave Saxton, Integrated Comms Planning Team Lead, Mars.