4-19-2012
During the Arbitron conference call Thursday, SVP/U.S. Media Services Sean Creamer was asked about Google's rollout of Brand Activate, an initiative for measuring online ads that includes "Active GRP," calculated from both panel and anonymous user data and working in conjunction with a new "Active View" service to calculate "viewed impressions" for online ads. (Both services have been submitted for MRC accreditation.)
Creamer said it came as no surprise that Google is increasing its level of marketplace presence in online measurement: "I think it is going to be, as we've said in the past, a competitive environment, but also a collaborative environment." He noted that Google has partnered with other providers on similar activities and said, "We certainly stand ready to participate as those opportunities present themselves."
Asked how the Arbitron Mobile Trends Panel will differentiate itself, Creamer said its position relative to the competition "is difficult to discern" so early in the process, but added, "We believe we have as good a chance, with the assets we have in place, to be very competitive in that marketplace."
That panel is currently made up of 6,000-plus individuals 18 and older, and Creamer said that, though Arbitron will respond to customer input, "I think that's the size we are shooting for." He noted, "The ability to measure the entire relationship a consumer has with a smartphone device is a valuable set of insights to a broad customer base."
Asked about smartphones and the PPM, Creamer noted that, even with 44 percent of the population now owning smartphones, that's not enough to make up a representative sample. But as time goes on, Creamer said, "It becomes a very viable tool as a measuring device." He doesn't, however expect smartphones to replace the PPM entirely: "It will be a mix of devices over time."
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