Ad Agencies to Collaborate on Research

US network NBC Universal has taken the first steps towards establishing a new council of ad agency research, strategy and media buying executives commissioning primary research of mutual benefit.

Projects will be funded by NBC Universal (NBCU), and conceived and designed by the heads of agency media research organizations in collaboration with their planning and buying teams.

After a launch meeting at Del Frisco's Steakhouse in New York, the new body has a name - ACTION Media (Agency Collaboration Towards Insights On New Media) - and membership including the heads of media research at 15 major ad agencies. Its mission: 'To conduct collaborative, actionable, game-changing research that benefits the media and advertising industries'.

Behind the move is Debbie Reichig, NBCU's Senior VP-Market Development and a long-time advocate of collaboration on Madison Avenue. While at Court TV, Reichig worked on a similar idea which has been developed, since the channel's acquisition by Turner Broadcasting Systems, into the Turner ROI Council.

Reichig arrived at NBCU around 6 months ago, and immediately began thinking about the part its greater financial clout could play in leading a collaborative effort, in order to give the industry neutral, credible research focused on the needs of advertising execs, buyers and planners.

Reichig told DRNO that collaboration answers two key requirements. Firstly, 'Individual agencies have limited resources, in terms of both money and personnel', and secondly, it removes the suspicion that research has been organised in line with an individual company's 'agenda' and gives it the weight of neutrality. Given the massive changes in media, agencies are 'desperate for knowledge', says Reichig, both for their own strategy and to provide answers to clients: but whereas the latter will fund research into specific issues of immediate concern to them, they are unlikely to come up with funds for research giving a broader understanding of trends and issues in the sector - including convergence and fragmentation of media, new technologies and cross-platform consumption.

Other bodies have recently been established to advance the cause of media research - in particular, the Nielsen Media Research-backed Council for Research Excellence. As an individual member of this Council, Reichig explains that its remit is quite different from that of the fledgling ACTION Media: 'The CRE are doing fabulous work which needs to be done, but which focuses on methodological advances.' Given its composition, the new organisation will 'only have one point of view' - that of the buyer - and will focus on advertising effectiveness.

A wide range of possible projects have been put forward, and a second meeting, on October 18th, will narrow this down and start talking specifics. Reichig suggests that many of the projects are likely to be of 'experimental design', mostly qual and focused on buyers' key questions: are campaigns working, and what mix of media and slots will be most effective?

One of the decisions of the inaugural meeting was to involve buyers and planners, who will be invited to attend separate, parallel meetings.

NBC Universal's home page is at www.nbcuni.com.

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