The TV industry raises the bar for cross-platform audience measurement

This week’s egtabite puts the spotlight on an industry-encompassing initiative launched by egta, with the support of the Global TV Group: the release of a unique Charter, which defines TV companies' commitment to better and more transparent measurement.

As the industry moves towards cross-platform measurement, this charter aims to set higher standards with regards to measurability, transparency of data and accountability of television as a medium.

A set of simple principles

Cracking the code to the perfect measurement of ad content across all screens seems to be the holy grail. For TV companies and monetisers of content, it certainly is a high priority – and as industry partners work towards that goal – questions of standards and definitions arise.

At the same time, advertisers seek a safe environment for their brands, transparency, reliable data and information, all with an aim to refine their media investments, improve their campaign planning and assess campaign results - as expressed in the Global Media Charter, published in 2018 by the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA).

In this context, egta and the Global TV Group released a Charter on television companies’ commitment towards the responsible and transparent measurement of advertising in the TV/video ecosystem.

The TV Charter was first adopted in Prague, on the occasion of egta’s CEOs and Top Executives’ Summit in June 2019, aiming to raise the bar for measurement and accountability in the industry and show that TV companies are willing and more importantly, able to take the full responsibility for their side of the business.

egta’s Charter is in line with the recently announced global WFA initiative designed to make the advertiser voice heard on the topic of cross-media measurement - and supports the WFA’s determination to find cross-industry consensus on key principles for measurement, together with TV companies, online players and measurement companies.

The Charter was adopted by a vast majority of egta’s 155 member sales houses active in over 42 countries, as well as by notable industry trade bodies such as Screenforce (DE, AT, CH, FI, NL), Thinkbox (UK), ThinkTV (AU/CA) and the VAB (US), and several others which comprise The Global TV Group.

The set of simple principles defines first-time measurement standards for the entire TV industry. It serves as a reminder that TV’s premium environment – both on-air and online – already meets the legitimate demands from advertisers for brand safety, transparency and access to verified data.

Malin Häger, President of egta and Sales Manager and Chief Commercial Officer at TV4 Sales was one among many senior executives who have been involved in the initiative.

“In a fast-evolving media landscape characterised by changing viewing behaviour across screens and platforms, audience measurement too must evolve. As a growing amount of companies develop proprietary solutions in an attempt to solve part of the equation, it seems increasingly clear that the adoption of common industry guidelines is a much better option and that setting standards for viewability, transparency, accountability and data comparability is imperative to creating a level playing field. This is what this Charter is all about; it outlines TV companies’ commitment to raising the bar for the whole industry. It is a reminder to advertisers that TV’s premium content and environment – both on air and on line - already meet their growing demands for brand safety, transparency and access to reliable and verified data.”, Malin stated.

Future steps

The ultimate goal set forward by egta and The Global TV Group is to build a solid foundation for the TV industry to move forward in unison – evolving audience measurement, setting the highest standards allowing for comparability on a global level and building bridges with industry stakeholders in an increasingly digital, multi-screen and cross-platform advertising landscape.