CIMM to Promote Universal Watermark

In the US, cross-industry group the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) has launched an action plan to encourage the adoption of an open, universal watermark, and the deployment of standardized activation triggers.

Formed in 2009, the CIMM is a is a non-partisan coalition focused on cultivating improvements, best practices and innovations in measurement and currency, the development of new metrics, and data collaboration and enablement. Members come from across the media and measurement ecosystem, including providers, buyers, trade bodies and consultants. The organisation became part of the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) in 2018.

Today's recommendations come with the publication of a collaborative study, authored by Caroline Horner, Howard Fiderer and Myles Parker, and based on interviews, discussions and technical reviews with 'more than 20' executives from brands, agencies and publishers. The report suggests that widespread adoption leveraging existing standards and creative identifiers (such as ATSC 3.0, ACIF, AD-ID, VAST and SCTE 224) could help to deliver consistent, full-spectrum measurement of content and advertising across TV and streaming platforms. The CIMM is also recommending the establishment of a Stewardship group to plan and administer this process as far as the implementation of a Proof of Concept.

The Coalition foresees an initial phase focused on advertising measurement, with future phases addressing activation and content measurement. Participants would develop a shared system of identifiers, registries, repositories, file formats, and privacy-compliant data transfer protocols; and the Proof of Concept would validate technical components such as watermark readers, as well as developing an incentive model.

CIMM Managing Director Jon Watts (pictured) comments, 'Although measurement solutions are improving steadily, our industry still faces a stark challenge to provide comprehensive, advertising measurement with unduplicated reach and frequency in a multi-platform world. Driven by continued innovation across areas like AI, advertising content and formats will continue to proliferate. And while inconsistent and fragmented measurement approaches remain, we can expect significant measurement barriers across platforms including linear, streaming, and the walled gardens–unless the industry can align and collaborate on a universal solution.'

Web site: www.cimm-us.org .