CIMM Launches Innovative Single Source, Three Screen Measurement Tests With Arbitron and comScore

NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) announced two independent, "proof-of-concept" pilot tests to measure three-screen users and their behavior with content and advertising across television, Internet and mobile. CIMM will work with both Arbitron Inc. and comScore on these groundbreaking studies.  This is the first time that mobile Internet usage – including mobile video and apps – will be measured in "single source" cross-platform studies.

Arbitron will recruit a sample of three-screen users from their panel of approximately 70,000 persons who already carry a Portable People Meter™ (PPM™) device to measure radio listening and television viewing both in-home and out-of-home.  Online and mobile Internet behavior will be captured using software meters Arbitron acquired from Integrated Media Measurement, Inc. (IMMI) in 2010.

comScore will recruit a sample of three-screen users from their 25,000-member opt-in cross-platform multi-screen consumer research panel. comScore will collect online and mobile measurement using their technology and will combine it with "set top box" television viewing data and additional mobile Internet usage data from mobile server logs.  

"These innovative, small scale pilot tests will independently explore different methodologies to capture all three-screen media usage for selected programming and advertising campaigns," explained CIMM Managing Director, Jane Clarke.  "Aside from testing the methodologies, we're also hoping to gain deeper insights into the way that consumers are using media across three-screens."

"Arbitron has unique three-screen, single-source measurement capabilities through its PPM technology and panels. By incorporating the IMMI Internet and mobile meters in this pilot, we can directly link media usage across multiple platforms to the individuals and to their rich set of demographic characteristics," said Sean Creamer, Executive Vice President, US Media Services, Arbitron Inc. "We believe our three-screen measurement solution and the outcome of this pilot will influence the future direction of cross-platform media planning and buying. We thank the members of CIMM for their support of Arbitron and its cross-platform capabilities."

"We are very excited about the opportunity to help CIMM explore how consumers use media across multiple screens," said Joan FitzGerald, vice president television sales and business development, comScore.  "As consumers combine their TV viewing and Internet usage with media consumption from an increasing array of mobile devices, it becomes more important for advertisers, agencies and media companies to understand their total audience and how to reach them.  The Multi-Screen Consumer Panel is designed to deliver these important insights."

Both tests will enlist consumers who access media across multiple screens and will develop cross-platform metrics, such as unduplicated reach and frequency of media across screens. Single source measurement refers to the ability to understand usage across different media for the same individuals and households. Work on these pilots will begin immediately for both tests, with results available in the second half of 2011.

About CIMM

The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) was founded by leading television content providers, media agencies and advertisers to promote innovation in audience measurement for television and cross-platform video. CIMM will explore and identify new methodologies and approaches to audience measurement through a series of pilot studies with independent measurement companies focusing on two key areas: the current and future potential of television measurement through set-top-box data, and new methods for cross-platform media measurement.

Current participants are: AT&T, Belo, CBS Corporation, Carat USA, Comcast Networks,  Discovery Communications, Gannett, GroupM, Hearst, Interpublic Group's Mediabrands, Microsoft, NBC Universal, News Corporation, Omnicom Media Group, P&G, PepsiCo, ConAgra, Publicis Groupe, Time Warner, Unilever, Viacom and The Walt Disney Company.

About Arbitron

Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) is a media and marketing research firm serving the media - radio, broadcast and cable television, online radio and out-of-home - as well as advertisers and advertising agencies. Arbitron's core businesses are measuring network and local market radio audiences across the United States; surveying the retail, media and product patterns of local market consumers; and providing application software used for analyzing media audience and marketing information data. The company has developed the Portable People Meter and PPM 360™, new technologies for media and marketing research.

Portable People Meter™, PPM™ and PPM 360™ are marks of Arbitron Inc.

About comScore

comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/companyinfo.

SOURCE Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement