UKOM appoints Douglas McArthur OBE as chairman

Douglas McArthur OBE, former chief executive and founder of the Radio Advertising Bureau has been named as the chairman of UKOM – the UK online audience measurement company.  The announcement comes at a crucial time for UKOM, as it prepares for the January 2010 launch of its Audience Planning System, powered by the Nielsen Company. 

A media heavyweight and highly relevant appointment, McArthur worked to develop the radio audience measurement system, RAJAR, in 1992. At the head of the RAB, he spent 14 years leading and sustaining radio's revenue share growth from 2% to 7%, and in May 2006 launched his own marketing consultancy – Planning for Results.
 
As independent chair, McArthur will ensure that the key stakeholders are able to contribute to the development of UKOM: agencies and advertisers, primarily via their representative trade bodies the IPA and ISBA, and UK publishers. McArthur has been working with UKOM in a consultancy role since Mark Cranmer stood down from UKOM earlier this year to join Aegis Media's digital agency network Isobar, as chief executive. 
 
In his early career, McArthur worked as a marketer within big UK brands Procter & Gamble, Scottish and Newcastle and Campbell's Soups, and then as an Account Planner in several major agencies.  In the New Year’s Honours 2001 he was awarded the OBE for Services to Radio Advertising.

In September 2009, UKOM appointed The Nielsen Company as its official partner to deliver an industry-agreed online audience planning system, which will allow advertisers and their agencies to plan online campaigns targeting specific audiences, using an industry-approved system, just as they do with traditional media.   

Douglas McArthur, chair of UKOM said: “Advertisers have been calling for a consumer-centric planning system for their investments in areas like digital display. I aim that under my chairmanship, UKOM will deliver what they asked for - a planning system for digital display, digital video and mobile.“ 
 
Guy Phillipson, CEO of the IAB and UKOM director said: “Douglas McArthur’s broad experience and mature approach is just what UKOM needs, now we’re preparing for the launch on the UKOM Audience Planning System in just a few months.  He’s a highly respected media professional and we’re very proud to have Douglas as our chairman.”  
 
Bob Wootton, Director of Media & Advertising at ISBA said: “Douglas is an excellent appointment.  He has seen the industry from all sides, so he knows what’s what.  And he’s experienced, connected and energetic enough to keep things moving in this rapidly-changing world.  We look forward to working with him again in the UKOM context”.