Advertisers Form Global Cross Media Measurement Group

A group of advertisers including EA, Mastercard, P&G and Unilever has launched a global initiative called the Cross Media Working Group, designed to ensure the advertiser's voice is heard in decisions on cross-media measurement.

At the core of the initiative is the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and advertisers from the WFA Global Media Board. UK industry body ISBA and its US counterpart, the ANA, are also involved in the initiative, which hopes to speed up the implementation of more consistent measurement without having to invent a separate solution for every market. Other advertiser associations involved include ACA (Canada), OWM (Germany), Swedish Advertisers, and Union des Marques (France).

The group aims to find cross-industry consensus on global principles for measurement, with broadcasters, digital platforms and measurement companies also involved in the initiative. Work currently being undertaken centres around issues such as privacy, measurement infrastructure, metrics and data, and governance, and a meeting is due to take place to identify next steps.

Phil Smith (pictured), Director General at ISBA (UK), comments: 'ISBA and its members are not alone in striving for independent, accountable cross-media measurement. To succeed, we know that efforts from all parts of the globe must come together to provide a single set of principles and standards that can be applied in individual markets. Given the fragmented nature of the audience measurement landscape today, it is vital that advertisers take the lead'. Web site: www.wfanet.org .