Although the company’s Total Audience Measurement data won’t be a factor this year at the Cannes advertising awards, Nielsen expects to hear more conversations about performance metrics and their use in judging awards entries.
This is not to say that things like great creative, direction and cinematography have been pushed to the background, according to Dave Hohman, the company’s EVP for Agencies.
“It’s a much more scientifically driven activity than it used to be, but I think what’s interesting is that there are arts and sciences still in the creative development,” Hohman says in an interview with Beet.TV. “The science piece may have been amped up, but the art part is still there definitely.”
The Total Audience Measurement data weren’t widely available to be used in this year’s Upfront TV negotiating sessions. Right now that information is being disclosed on a proprietary basis, beginning with TV networks and then publishers, advertisers and agencies by the third quarter of 2016, according to Hohman.
In the meantime, ADWEEK reports that Nielsen would be sharing more information about consumer usage of connected TV devices like Roku and Apple TV.
Nielsen’s new methodology is designed to measure audiences beyond its usual seven-day period by capturing viewing beyond traditional broadcast, for example video on demand or digital-only viewing.
Noting the new requirement that Cannes entries include an advertising performance metric, “I think that’s going to be a topic of conversation that’s going to increase this year,” Hohman says. “Our clients are very interested in buying ads that work, not just buying ads that win awards.”
This interview is part of our series “The Road to Cannes”, presented by FreeWheel. Please visit this page for additional segments.
