CIMM and 4As Present TV Attribution Providers Study at 8th Annual CIMM Cross-Platform Video Measurement and Data Summit
New York, February 7, 2019 — While industry leaders express optimism and enthusiasm for TV attribution, they also are looking for greater visibility and understanding into how leading providers conduct the practice.
The finding is part of a comprehensive review of the state of TV attribution, commissioned by the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and 4A’s Media Measurement Task Force, and presented today at the 8th Annual CIMM Cross-Platform Video Measurement and Data Summit.
The report, “Television Attribution—Overview, Key Topics and a Comparison of Leading Providers,” developed by Sequent Partners, shows an industry expressing excitement about attribution while acknowledging that not every attribution solution solves for every campaign goal. The report addresses this state in a guide to leading providers of TV attribution that summarizes their differing approaches and what each provider offers. The study was limited to providers that match Smart TV or Set Top Box data at the household level.
CIMM and 4A’s commissioned the study “to shed light on current practices, demystify the science behind the modeling approaches and analytics, delve into strengths and weaknesses of data supporting the models, and offer a means of comparing the major providers.”
The report is a follow-up to research the organizations commissioned in 2018 and which was also conducted by Sequent Partners that compared the offerings of 26 companies in digital, cross-channel, multi-touch and TV attribution and marketing mix modeling.
In interviews conducted by Sequent Partners with members of CIMM and 4A’s, industry leaders expressed significant interest and hopes for TV attribution, but they also identified several concerns:
- How is TV analyzed measured?
- Sequent Partners found that industry leaders were unsure if all forms of TV were being measured (linear, VOD, addressable, short digital video on connected TVs, computers or mobile, and premium TV on connected TVs, computers or mobile) and whether the complete impact of TV on brands was being taken into account
- Dealing with a knowledge gap
- Leaders saw a gap between researchers and providers in general knowledge of TV and in understanding the industry’s unique language and practice. Leaders also want to see an end to overselling and over-promising of attribution studies
- Data questions
- Those interviewed were unsure about how providers were disentangling data integration issues and overcoming the challenge of creating representative datasets
On the whole, industry leaders expressed much hope for continued advancement in TV attribution and were optimistic as to the direction the field was taking.
“The report shows an industry that is still familiarizing itself with attribution as a practice as well as with a provider community that is using widely different data, measurement techniques and approaches to application,” says Jim Spaeth, partner, Sequent Partners. “Because this is a practice that is still developing, it is important that clients ask providers questions about these areas and request sample data until they are satisfied that their business objectives are being met.”
“What’s important at this early stage is not becoming enamored of glossy models and cool applications,” says Alice Sylvester, partner, Sequent Partners. “We have to keep an eye on making sure the fundamentals of how advertising and television work are being addressed in the models. We also need to keep in mind how television advertising impacts the brand long-term. As attribution continues to grow, we can’t ignore long-term effects in favor of exceeding short-term effects.”
The study, conducted through questionnaires and interviews with participating providers, included only those attribution providers using device or household-level TV exposure data. Providers of TV attribution who do not take this approach were not included in the study. However, as this is a rapidly growing area of research, some vendors may not have been included.
Providers examined in the report include 605, Alphonso, Analytic Partners, Conversion Logic, Data Plus Math, IRi, iSpot.TV, Marketing Evolution, Neustar, Nielsen Catalina, Nielsen, Placed, Samba TV, Tru Optik and TV Squared.
A copy of the report can be downloaded at www.cimm-us.org.
About CIMM
The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) is comprised of leading video content providers, media agencies and advertisers that aim to promote innovation and foster efficiencies in audience measurement for television and cross-platform video. In 2018, CIMM was acquired by the ARF (Advertising Research Foundation), with the goal of expanding the categories of members as well as our initiatives. CIMM initiatives to date have included exploration and identification of new methodologies in cross-platform audience measurement, with verification of these approaches through pilot tests and studies conducted with independent measurement companies. CIMM’s focus has been on two key areas: the current and future potential of television measurement through the use of return-path data, and new methods for cross-platform media measurement.
About 4A’s
Founded in 1917, the 4A’s was established to promote, advance and defend the interests of our member agencies, their employees and the industry at large. The organization serves 700+ member agencies across 1,300 offices, which control more than 85% of total U.S. advertising spend.
As the leading trade organization for marketing communication agencies, the 4A’s purpose is to help empower its members to deliver insightful creativity that drives commerce and influences culture, all while moving the industry forward. The organization provides community, leadership, advocacy, guidance and best-in-class training that help enable agencies to innovate, evolve and grow.
The 4A’s Benefits division insures more than 160,000 employees, and its D.C. office advocates for policies that best support a thriving advertising industry. The 4A’s Foundation fuels a robust diversity
pipeline of talent for its members and the marketing and media industry, fostering the next generation of leaders. The organization is dedicated to, and vested in, our members’ success just as they are dedicated to helping brands create, distribute, and measure effective and insightful advertising and marketing. Visit the 4A’s at www.4as.org.
