UKOM Work in Progress
The UKOM Board and Technical Group work continuously with Nielsen to maintain standards in the current product, and oversee the development and application of new products. Here is a list of what we're working on right now...
VIDEO CENSUS
Status: UKOM approved from July 2011 data
What is it?
Nielsen's system for measuring online video players, their monthly audiences and stream volumes. Video Census combines reach calculations from the UKOM panel with stream volumes from either server data (where the publisher embeds a Nielsen tag), or the panel. The advantage of tagged data is that stream volumes represent total video consumption in all locations and on all devices. Available from Nielsen as a separate subscription to UKOM APS.Where are we now?
The UKOM technical team, Technical Group and Board have spent several months reviewing Video Census and the data it produces. Technical improvements were identified and are being implemented by Nielsen, so that this product will now have full UKOM approval with the release of July 2011 data in August.UKOM is continuing to work with Nielsen to ensure this product meets the needs of the market. As more publishers embed the Nielsen tag in their video players, we will be able to consider any enhancements that need to be made.
AD NETWORKS ACTUAL REACH
Status: Scheduled for release in Q4 2011
What is it?
UKOM originally planned to approve Nielsen's industry-standard "potential reach" measurement for Ad Networks. The disadvantage of such a measure is that major ad networks have the potential to serve to almost all significant sites, giving the majority of the market a 90%+ potential reach, with actual reach bearing no relation to this figure. Following industry consultation in 2010, the Board agreed that "potential reach" was meaningless as a planning tool, and that UKOM and Nielsen should aim to measure what an Ad Network actually delivers over the course of a month.Where are we now?
Nielsen's development of a tool to measure Ad Network actual reach is now considerably developed, and test data has been shared with UKOM and Ad Network experts in a special cross-industry technical sub-group established to assess this product. Nielsen's initial testing with real UK data in May identified where improvements in accuracy needed to be made, so a second month's beta testing has been started. The technical sub-group is convening regularly to assess new data. We hope to conclude this process and approve the data for release in early Q4 2011.
HYBRID MEASUREMENT
Status: Under UKOM review, could be approved for release by the end of 2011
What is it?
Tne inclusion of server data in UKOM APS figures, to give a complete picture of online behaviour in all locations and on all devices. In practice this means embedding a Nielsen tag in publisher content, and combining the data this produces with the existing UKOM panels.Where are we now?
The UKOM Board has asked Nielsen to develop hybrid measurement for the UK market, with the proviso that the processes and resulting data must achieve UKOM technical approval before release. The UKOM technical team and Technical Group are currenrly considering Nielsen's methodological approach, to make a recommendation to the Board in July 2011 on whether to continue onto testing output data. At this point, testing of UK beta data would begin, to ensure that Nielsen's process delivers valid data for UK properties. Assuming the hybrid process and data are approved, publishers would move to hybrid measurement when they start to implement the Nielsen tag.If you have any questions about UKOM's technical approval processes, please contact Scott Fleming, UKOM Research Manager.