BARB Head of Insight Leaves to Set Up Measurement Firm

Joe Lewis, Head of Insight at the UK's Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB), is leaving at the end of the year to set up his own audience measurement business, Measured Media Consulting (MMC).

Lewis (pictured) joined BARB in 2010 as Research Manager, and was named Head of Insight earlier this year. He was previously Research Director at GfK, Research Manager at AGB Nielsen Media Research, and he worked for the Office for National Statistics as a government statistician. He says the aim of his new company will be to support the wider industry to evaluate and develop measurement services, and better understand their data.

MMC will work with the industry, media owners and agencies to design and develop solutions to deliver greater audience insight, as well as understand their existing data better. Services will include help using first or third-party data-sets, design and production of contract specifications for tender, the assessment of proposals, and the evaluation of audience measurement services. One on one and group tutorials will also be offered to help clients understand the latest audience measurement data, its collection and analysis.

Commenting on the launch, Lewis said: 'Audience Measurement has never been as important as it is today for media planning and evaluation, and the new data which we collect are potential treasure troves of behavioural insight, but also banana skins if interpreted incorrectly. With that in mind, I have set up Measured Media Consulting, to work with media owners and agencies alike, to not only develop their own audience measurement capabilities, but also align and interpret third-party data to get the most insight on their audiences'.

Web site: www.measured-media.co.uk .