Recommendations to promote updates and improvements for post analysis practices is first of three co-funded projects focused on local TV measurement, with Local Currency Requirements and Local TV Innovation Playbook to follow
New York, July 25, 2024 – The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) today issued new guidelines for local TV aimed to achieve reliable, stable and accurate post analysis where the projected rating – the buyer and seller’s agreed upon audience prior to the ad running – is compared with the measured rating after the ad runs. The Post Analysis Guidelines is the first of three co-funded projects co-developed by CIMM and the TVB, to support the local marketplace.
While the local TV advertising industry has seen dramatic changes including more viewing choices and fragmentation of audiences, many practices and guidelines for local TV post analysis have not changed to reflect this.
“Despite the changes the local TV marketplace has seen, and even though the practice of day/date-based post analysis is not supported in today’s environment of fragmented audiences, it continues to be used,” said Jon Watts, Managing Director at CIMM. “This has a costly impact as the use of an unstable timing framework can penalize buyers for not meeting goals, and sellers can owe make-goods because of unreliable measurement, not because they under-delivered the audience. Through these guidelines, it is the hope of CIMM and TVB to promote practices that are in alignment with the modern local TV landscape.”
“While the TV and video media landscape has transformed in the last few decades to support consistent growth within the broader environment, post analysis guidelines – and other forms of measurement – have not kept pace,” said Hadassa Gerber, EVP, Chief Research Officer at TVB. “In order to appropriately support the measurement of TV and video campaigns both now and in the future, the industry must both recoup and reinvigorate. It is our hope that these Guidelines, as well as the other projects we’re working on with CIMM, will serve as foundational stepping stones that educate the industry on innovations and a path forward for the modern local TV ecosystem.”
On a TVB News Minute, Kyle Poppie, VP Data Science at Nielsen, discussed best practices for buying and posting using Nielsen data. “Averaging across multiple weeks or months yields more reliable estimates.” He went on to say “To really maximize the reliability of an estimate, assess the audience for the entire schedule or for all spots on a station, rather than a single telecast.”
The recommended guidelines are as follows:
- A four-week aggregation and/or aggregation of units for post analysis – no day/date-based post analysis should be used. This significantly improves the reliability and stability of reported audiences.
- A 90% posting threshold – which refers to the sensitivity of the comparison between the projected rating and the measured rating – meaning that if the projected rating is +/- 90% of the measured rating, no make-goods are owed.
- A four-week aggregation and/or aggregation of units is recommended for all markets regardless of methodology where variability is 50% or greater.
- Flexibility is recommended for special event, one-time programs or tentpole programs such as Super Bowl, Academy Awards and sports playoffs where aggregation guidelines may not be required due to limited telecasts and higher audience sizes.
- For programs with smaller audiences and sample sizes, greater aggregation may be needed.
CIMM and the TVB developed the Posting Guidelines collaboratively with a project steering group of senior buyers and sellers.
“We are pleased to participate in this important industry collaboration, which aims to revise and enhance the guidelines governing local television advertising,” said Jennifer Hungerbuhler, EVP, Managing Director, Local Video and Audio Investment at dentsu. “Our commitment to our advertising clients is unwavering as they seek tangible outcomes from their investments in local TV advertising. The establishment of clear guidelines between buyers and sellers is instrumental in our ability to deliver in a changing local media marketplace.”
“Our advertiser clients rely on local TV as a critical part of their media mix,” said Joe Cerone, Executive Vice President Local Investment at IPG Mediabrands. “The local TV marketplace is evolving, and guidelines such as the new post analysis guidelines help us keep pace and continue to deliver value to our advertisers.”
In the coming months, CIMM and TVB will also release a Statement of Requirements for Local Currency Providers and a Local TV Innovation Playbook, showcasing the latest innovations in measurement and currency development, new metrics, and data collaboration across the local TV and video marketplace.
To get involved with CIMM’s local TV measurement initiatives, contact: local-innovations@cimm-us.org
About CIMM
The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) is a non-partisan, pan-industry coalition focused on cultivating improvements, best practices and innovations in measurement and currency, new metrics and approaches to understanding the value of media, and data collaboration and enablement. CIMM’s members include leading networks, studios, streamers and programmers, MVPDs, TV OEMs and OS providers, major digital businesses, agencies, measurement and data providers, trade bodies and consultants. CIMM is a subsidiary of the Advertising Research Foundation and adheres to the ARF’s principles of scientific rigor, objectivity and evidence-based research.
See https://cimm-us.org/ for more information.
About TVB
TVB is the not-for-profit trade association representing America’s local broadcast television industry, including linear and digital platforms. Its members include the U.S. television stations, television broadcast groups, advertising sales reps, syndicators, international broadcasters and associate members. TVB actively promotes local media marketing solutions to the advertising community and works to develop advertising dollars for the medium’s multiple platforms, including on-air, online and mobile. TVB provides a diverse variety of tools and resources, including its website, to support its members and to help advertisers make the best use of local ad dollars.
See www.tvb.org for more information.
