Nielsen is bringing its online measurement solution, Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings, to Canada in the coming weeks, expanding the service beyond the U.S. and U.K. markets for the first time.
With help from participating online data providers such as Facebook, the tool allows media buyers and sellers to understand who saw an ad by measuring online advertising audiences and serving up reach, frequency and GRP metrics, plus demographic information including age and gender, using a process that combines traditional Nielsen TV and online panel data with aggregated anonymous demographic info.
Nielsen says that by being able to compare with TV, advertisers are afforded the opportunity to look at the ROI for the campaigns across platforms seamlessly. Also, overnight data delivery will allow clients to adjust in-flight to maximize the reach of each campaign. The ability to measure campaigns of any size is particularly important in Canada, where many campaigns are small and focused in scope.
Over time Nielsen hopes to add regional demographics.
Andrea Beach, vice-president of media for Nielsen in Canada, said the time that Online Campaign Ratings has been up and running in the U.S. and U.K. (18 and six months respectively) let Nielsen see that having TV-comparable metrics can transform the way online inventory is bought and sold, including the emergence of guarantees, the entrenchment of GRPs and the growth of audience-based buying.
“Our clients in these markets and beyond have also been interested in having the same capabilities around the globe so that they can compare their campaigns more holistically. Canada has a growing digital market and the demand here has led us to prioritize launch in the market,” said Beach. “Once advertisers understand what they’re getting for their money they can invest with confidence.”
Carat is partnering with the company to pilot the tool in the expansion markets.
“It is a very exciting time to for us to be at the forefront of improving campaign delivery and effectiveness,” said Stacey Deziel, senior vice-president and director of digital strategy and activation for Carat, in a release. “We’re anxious to see how the Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings tool evolves and the impact using this data will have on our programs.”
Online Campaign Ratings is also now set to roll out in Australia and Germany.
