MRC Finalizes Cross-Media Standards for Video

The Media Rating Council (MRC) has issued the final version of its 'Cross-Media Audience Measurement Standards', relating to the video consumption environment.

In March last year, MRC issued a call for research and input on two components of its standards for cross-media video measurement - duration and weighting - and the possible move to 100% pixels as a viewability criteria. Its finalized Cross-Media Audience Measurement Standards were produced in collaboration with an industry working group of more than 175 companies and supported by the ANA, 4As and the IAB, which are founding member associations of the Making Measurement Make Sense (3MS) initiative, as well as the Video Advertising Bureau.

The final draft contains a revision in guidance on the previously introduced duration weighting provision. This calculation is now subject to a relative approach (that is, the duration viewable is divided by the advertisement's creative length), as compared to the previously proposed provision, which used an absolute approach (that is, the duration viewable divided by a static 30 second denominator). Remaining unchanged from the public comment draft of the standards is that the duration weighting provisions will still not become required of audience measurers until January 2021. Additional research will be conducted prior to that date, and the MRC will supply the marketplace with advance notification should additional refinements be deemed necessary.

George Ivie (pictured), Executive Director and CEO of the MRC, comments: 'With the release of these standards, the industry now has clear path to produce cross platform metrics that will allow for greater analytical insights into video audiences, both within and across platforms, and to better facilitate cross platform advertising commerce. We believe this represents a major step forward, as well as a culmination of the 3MS initiative efforts that have led to it.'

The MRC Cross-Media Audience Measurement Standards can be accessed through links available at: www.mediaratingcouncil.org .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.