We know that people don’t consume media channels in isolation and cross-channel efficiency in a fragmented media landscape is one of the biggest issues of today’s media planning industry. Nielsen’s Philip Trencher states that 79% of marketers would prefer to use one set of metrics across all screens, and I’m surprised it’s not 100%.
OMD UK is always looking for new ways to optimise in this constantly evolving landscape and were recently presented with an opportunity to be at the forefront of this. OMD UK worked closely with Nielsen and Facebook on a media-first cross-platform measurement study for the UK to assess the efficiency of our clients’ cross-platform campaigns.
This study used a test/control approach to identify the impact of each channel; with DAR tags across Facebook advertising and an opportunity to see approach to TV Advertising exposure, we were able to measure cross-platform effectiveness for Facebook and TV. At OMD UK we are lucky enough to work with brave, forward-thinking clients happy to participate in new approaches to measurement and a few met the campaign requirements to be a part of this study.
The Survey Experience: Nielsen
Findings from this study were showcased at a cross-agency seminar featuring a presentation from our very own Vicky Fox and a place on the panel for Sophy Part, who described it as “daunting at first, but all in all a very enjoyable experience!”
On the findings from our clients involved in the study, Vicky put it simplest as “Media works hardest together”, a point that encapsulates the landscape in which our planners work. TV and Facebook Advertising used well, in conjunction, saw the highest uplift in ad recall, familiarity and attribution; although factors like the effectiveness of the creative assets were not accounted for, this study illustrated the importance to layering our planning approach to reach the right people, the right number of times and in the right places. While media planning is not limited to just two channels, studies like this are a great step in the right direction to understanding how different channels work together. Sophy puts this more eloquently “One of OMD’s USPs is the super integrated work from our cross-media planning team, so studies like this are invaluable sources of information for us.”
At the showcase of the study, it was a finding from a different study that caught my eye. An eye-tracking study by Stephen J Gray PhD and Professor Jonathan Freeman PhD showed that when co-viewing television, people spend more time looking at their phone than at the person they’re sat with; this probably says more about our social interactions in a world of technology and short attention spans but it’s a slightly depressing finding nonetheless.
What does this mean going forward?
While a single source ad server and universal metrics for measurement may still be a pipedream for the future of measurement, the only way of getting close to it is to continue to push our own methodologies and measurement approaches forward. To do this, we must continue to say ‘yes’; ‘yes’ to trying new things and ‘yes’ to collaboration across the industry. Media measurement may feel like a minefield at times, but it is one that we are all trying to navigate; often done best through collaboration. On that note, we’d like to say a big thank you to everyone involved in this study, particularly Facebook, Nielsen and our clients.
