IAB Invites Comments

US-based organisation the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released Audience Reach Measurement Guidelines for public comment. The guidelines aim to provide clear, consistent definitions of metrics and set standards for measuring unique audience across different methods.

The guidelines are being released at the association's annual Leadership Forum on Audience Measurement in New York City, where they will be the subject of a detailed review. The IAB says transparency in measurement methodologies is 'critical to the ongoing growth of interactive media' as online increases its share of marketers' budgets.

The guidelines will cover definitions of key industry metrics such as unique users, unique cookies, unique browsers, visits and time spent; and provide a framework for auditing of measurement providers.

'These guidelines represent an industry wide endorsement of clarity and transparency of methodologies and metrics, particularly around reach, a core metric used throughout the media world', comments Sherrill Mane, the IAB's SVP, Industry Services.

George Ivie, CEO and Executive Director of the Media Rating Council (MRC) says the completion of the guidelines will 'pave the way for other measurement organizations, for example census measurers such as sites, ad-servers or analytics organizations, to have rigorous consistent guidelines to help ensure consistent measurements of unique cookies, devices or in certain circumstances even users.'

The proposed guidelines are available at www.iab.net/audiencemeasurement for a period ending on January 20, 2009, after which they will be finalized and released.

The IAB is comprised of more than 375 leading media and technology companies who are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the USA. Founded in 1996, the organisation is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. and a web home page at www.iab.net .

The IAB and partner body the EIAA launched an industry-wide survey into the use of online audience and traffic measurement techniques, just over a month ago, appointing Elizabeth Van Couvering to help steer itguide the initiative. Two weeks earlier, MR industry news and information service RFL Communications published another set of guidelines offering MR buyers metrics and recommendations to improve online survey data quality, and based on input from more than forty research suppliers and fifty leading client firms.

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