DigitalPlus to improve Nielsen numbers

“With our wide array of media and marketing information services, expertise in advanced technology, and experience working with large volumes of data, Nielsen is uniquely positioned to help clients unlock the potential of set-top box data,” said Jed Meyer, senior VP of Nielsen DigitalPlus (via Media Week).

The DigitalPlus service will bring together Nielsen's monitoring systems with cable and satellite systems. The platform will also allow the company to coordinate data from other Nielsen initiatives.

“One of the things that is intriguing is to [use digital set-top boxes] to get at very granular viewing information compared to current panel approaches, whether it’s commercial activity or tuning to programs,” said Meyer.

For the beginning stages, DigitalPlus will concentrate on electronic measurement for all markets and accurately measuring interactive advertisements. Forecasting information from other Nielsen holdings will be included for advertisers and numbers will be drawn from cable and satellite providers as well as Nielsen's own Media Research and Monitor Plus activity.

The new service could help advertisers better plan traditional advertising campaigns, and is likely rolling out at the right time. According to research from Outsell, Inc., radio/television advertising is expected to decline about 3% in 2007. Conversely, online advertising is expected to increase about 18% as advertisers find they can better control spending and target consumers through the Internet. By providing specific user information through television boxes, Nielsen may be able to improve overall ad targeting of television viewers.

Tags: advertising metrics, advertising spending, Nielsen, online marketing, targeted marketing, television