29th September 2011: IAB Australia and Nielsen have today released a comprehensive set of reference materials regarding the new hybrid online audience measurement solution, Nielsen Online Ratings (NOR), addressing both technical and more general industry queries. They have also announced that they will be jointly hosting a series of seminars around Australia from November onwards for marketers, agencies and publishers to introduce NOR and discuss the implications for the industry. Details of both can be found at www.iabaustralia.com.au.
IAB Australia further added that its independent audit of Nielsen’s online audience measurement panel has now been completed. The audit follows the announcement in May that Nielsen had been appointed the sole and exclusive preferred supplier for the provision of online audience measurement services in Australia for an initial two year term. In tandem with the panel audit, the IAB Measurement Council has been reviewing the first months of the NOR beta data, and the newly created NOR user interface.
Once the data has been readied for release, Australian marketers, publishers and agencies will be amongst the first in the world to have access to a hybrid online media planning and buying currency and standardised metrics for online audiences and websites.
This will allow online to be measured comparably with other main media in addition to providing online reach and frequency analyses comparable with traditional media schedules; and will set a platform for the online advertising industry to commence work on true cross-media measurement with other channels and devices, including mobile devices.
According to David Gaines, MFA Digital Committee Chair the release of the data will arguably be one of the most evolutionary pieces of research yet for the industry.
“In so many ways digital teaches us how we should approach many other areas of the communications business. This initiative should finally give us something to represent digital’s value to marketers in a way that is tangible.
“It will better drive integration inside media agencies too. As planners are able to access consistent online advertising metrics it’s going to make getting digital ideas and strategies off the ground a far easier task than it is at present.”
Gaines concluded: “The relative time it has taken the IAB to go from concept to an in-market tool when compared to other industry metrics is also a really promising sign as to how serious they and publishers are about bringing this credibility to the channel they represent.”
Scott McLellan, CEO of Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) said: “AANA looks forward to the rollout of the educational seminars and the results from the independent audit of Nielsen’s online audience measurement panel, which will allow advertisers to better understand the online audience and how to invest their media budget.”
Australia is amongst the first countries to complete a formal tender and technical review process of hybrid measurement methodology and is the first to formally announce, through this process, an endorsed supplier of this methodology.
The entire tender and review process was robust, extensive, rigorous and transparent and conducted with the upmost probity with TressCox Lawyers overseeing the process. The appointment of Nielsen was supported by both the MFA and AANA.
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About the Interactive Advertising Bureau
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Limited is the peak trade association for online advertising in Australia. As one of over 32 IAB offices globally, and with a rapidly growing membership, IAB Australia’s principal objective is to increase the share of advertising and marketing dollars that interactive media captures in the marketplace.
Incorporated in July 2010 by nine founding members – Fairfax Digital, Fox Interactive Media, News Digital Media, ninemsn, REA Group, Ten, Yahoo!7, and Sensis Media Smart – together with the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association (AIMIA), the IAB has four objectives:
• To develop, coordinate and promote industry standards and guidelines that make interactive advertising a simpler and more attractive medium for agencies, advertisers and marketers
• To prove and promote the effectiveness of interactive advertising to advertisers, agencies, marketers, and the press
• To be the primary advocate for the interactive marketing and advertising industry
• To expand the breadth and depth of IAB membership while increasing direct value to members
For further information about IAB Australia please visit: www.iabaustralia.com.au
About Nielsen
Nielsen Holdings N.V. (NYSE: NLSN) is a global information and measurement company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and related properties. Nielsen has a presence in approximately 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA and Diemen, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.
For more information please contact:
Pru Quinlan or Corinne Cowlishaw
Einsteinz Communications
T: (02) 8905 0995
E: pru@einsteinz.com.au
E: corinne@einsteinz.com.au
