Nielsen Adds Experian Demographics to OCR

Nielsen has partnered with data giant Experian Marketing Services to add additional demographic and lifestyle segments to its Online Campaign Ratings tool. Variables include estimated household income range, family size and education level.

The OCR tool, which was launched in the US last year and rolled out in the UK a year ago, combines data from the company's panels with aggregated, anonymous demographics from participating online data providers. Using this approach, Nielsen is able to provide overnight audience reach, frequency and Gross Ratings Points (GRPs) to enable advertisers to measure the ability of online ad campaigns to reach their intended audiences, with resulting metrics similar to those used for TV advertising, allowing cross-media planning and analysis.

Currently the tool reports on age, gender and designated market area: the collaboration with Experian will enable Nielsen to help advertisers and publishers measure specific aggregated audience attributes and behaviors in more detail.

Megan Clarken (pictured), EVP, Global Product Leader, Nielsen, says clients 'will be able buy, sell and validate campaigns against a richer and broader demographic set than ever before, thanks to their unparalleled insight into consumer off-line attributes.'

Nielsen will soon begin beta testing the enhanced tool, with release anticipated in 2014. The company says the relationship with Experian Marketing Services, 'paves the way' for additional demographic data to be integrated into its Digital Program Ratings, which measures online content, and Cross-Platform Campaign Ratings, which measures the reach of ad campaigns on TV, online and across both together.

Web sites: www.nielsen.com and www.experian.com .