National newspaper industry working on new system of audience measurement
The national newspaper industry has launched a review into current metrics for audience measurement in a bid to establish a system that tracks readership across various digital platforms.
System: National titles are launching a review
Newsworks – the marketing body for national newspapers – will oversee the appointment of a strategy consultant to head up the process, which follows consultation with advertisers and media agencies, while a statutory 18-month notice period has now been served on the National Readership Survey, which operates the industry’s current measurement system.
Dave King, executive director at Telegraph Media Group, said: “We are determined to find a future proof solution that works for everybody, not just today but in the years to come.”
Paul Hayes, managing director at News UK Commercial, added: “This is very timely. This exercise will give us a unique opportunity to consider some of the complex measurement and commercial issues we all face as an industry and to provide a genuinely multi-platform solution.”
The news has been welcomed by some advertisers, and Unilever UK’s media director, Sarah Mansfield, said the company was “looking forward to seeing its outcome”.
According to Rufus Olins, chief executive at Newsworks, the changing nature of how readers consume news and media means a re-think in how brands assess their reach is necessary.
“It is important that we have an audience measurement system that captures the way in which people now consume media,” he said.
“The landscape has changed beyond recognition in the past few years and the pace of change is accelerating. We need to be at the forefront of that change, helping advertisers and agencies make sense of it.”
Simon Redican, chief executive, NRS, added: “It is always appropriate for our stakeholders to constantly review their audience measurement requirements. This is increasingly true in a rapidly evolving and complex market.
"The NRS has already made great progress in delivering a contemporary audience measurement system with the launch of NRS PADD (print and digital data) and the impending launch of mobile and tablet readership measurement data so the NRS will be active participants in this process."
The news follows the recent announcement from Newsworks of a single point transaction system, PATS, to centralise tracking of the media buying and selling process for all involved.