Sky, Adobe Systems Inc, TVbeat Inc and Alphonso Inc are launching a consortium which they say will explore opportunities enabled by developments in cross-border and cross-platform data. The four plan to work alongside the European TV industry to explore and give advice on how new tech can best be used for TV audience targeting and profiling, viewability measurement and attribution.
The new initiative pitches itself a response both to the need for better ability to apply data and measurement across screens and borders, and to the opportunities for new and better forms of targeting and analytics enabled by new technology. It says it will facilitate a programme of research, dialogue and engagement around any opportunities opened up by developments in measurement, metrics and data, and has given a few concrete examples of what this will look like.
The consortium, which will be managed by London-based consulting firm MTM, plans to begin research this month to identify new opportunities which could benefit the TV industry and advertisers. On the back of this research, it will conduct a programme of industry seminars in March, and release a report summarising the consortium’s conclusions and recommendations in Q2 this year.
While its scope seems quite broad, the four companies involved gave a few examples of the sorts of opportunities they’ll be looking at. Specifically, personalisation of TV content, new TV metrics for viewability, dwell time and context, and measurement of advanced advertising are some of the areas the consortium will be looking in to.
Sky Media UK’s deputy managing director Jamie West says the consortium will help meet demand by advertisers for better cross-platform measurement. “The cross- border and cross-device nature of content means that we need to ensure that as the industry innovates we are able to harness data to increase effectiveness in planning, execution and analysis,” he said. “More impactful, consistent, joined-up and brand safe campaigns is what is demanded by advertisers and we need to make it as simple as possible.”
The four founders hope that other industry players will be keen to cooperate and provide insight for their research. They believe that working collaboratively with the industry will not only allow the industry to better adapt to changes in viewing habits and new technology, but will also create more consistency in standards across the continent.
Katty Roberfroid, director general of TV and radio sales house trade body egta, believes this is key. “Regardless of the side of the industry we work on, the general consensus is that the lack of harmonization in standards and metrics must be addressed. We believe that the TV industry must take a pioneer role to foster improvement in this field,” she said.
The consortium will be supported by egta, as well as the European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA), a trade body which represents advertising, media and PR agencies.
