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Media Measurement Media Summit Media Planning and Buying

TV measurement needs to embrace a multi-currency future, urges NBCUniversal digital VP

By Hayley Cochrane

November 2, 2022 | 6 min read

Ahead of speaking at The Drum Media Summit 2022, NBCUniversal’s vice-president of digital Hayley Cochrane calls for a multi-currency approach to TV measurement.

Hayley Cochrane, vice president, digital and advanced ad sales NBCUniversal

Hayley Cochrane, vice-president, digital and advanced ad sales, NBCUniversal

We all know that measurement has fallen behind the consumer as the advertising landscape has significantly changed. Viewers are no longer distinguishing between linear and digital – they are choosing to tune in to what they want, where, when and how they want to watch.

We must now embrace a multi-currency future, and jointly drive innovation that ensures more accurate and complete measurement approaches. Measurement needs to accurately reflect the reality of audience trends for marketers to effectively allocate their advertising investments and serve the entire ecosystem. And that will require more than one solution.

  • Cochrane is appearing on the Strictly Data show during the second day of the Media Summit (November 3) – register here to watch

We need to step away from just counting impressions. Instead, we need to measure those impressions to the various impacts they have on our advertisers – measuring all of their media investments for a more targeted and high-quality user experience. Only then will we be able to truly harness the benefits of the growth we’ve seen in our industry.

Building consumer trust

Today, two-thirds of the global population is online – that’s 5 billion internet users, and the pace at which those users’ media consumption habits change accelerates every day. We all know that the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted every sector around the globe. Even as consumers stayed at home, their viewing and spending habits were on the move, driving unprecedented growth for our industry.

In order to keep up as an industry and stay ahead of consumer behavior, we need to ensure continued consumer buy-in, which starts with consumer trust.

Consumers are the foundation, so we need to build trust with them each and every day. That starts by providing them with the best possible experience. We’ve all had frustrating ad experiences on our devices, from blank screens to overlapping ads and repetitive creative (not just twice, but sometimes four or five times in a row). This experience doesn’t just irritate us as viewers – it also undermines the marketers and the brands they represent who are looking to engage us as consumers.

For NBCU, that has meant building trusted partnerships across our entire business. We believe in the power of partnerships, working together with those who align with our own values, to enhance consumer trust and the user experience. Beyond our client and agency partners, we are investing deeply in partnerships with digital and social platforms, and adtech, measurement, data and technology providers.

We recently announced our partnership with Apple to act as its exclusive sales house for Apple News in the UK. Apple News is built on a foundation of trust, privacy, transparency and quality, delivering premium audiences, premium content and a premium ad experience. This perfectly aligns with what we think and do every day at NBCU as we show how effective, impactful and exciting campaigns can be delivered in this new world.

Creating a high-quality consumer experience starts with knowing who our viewers are – not just their ages and genders, but their interests, passions and backgrounds. These are what we need to focus on to accurately measure and execute effective marketing campaigns for our clients.

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Audiences are consuming content when and where they choose, so we all need to invest in first-party data and develop a uniform approach to identity resolution while safeguarding consumer privacy. In a world where third-party identifiers are fading, first-party data is the future – which is why we are investing significantly in our identity platform NBCUnified.

NBCUnified enables more personalized and measurable consumer experiences, in support of our own brands and advertisers. While NBCUnified is currently only available in the US, we’re working to expand out as part of our global vision.

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