Nielsen and IMMI to Measure TV Outside the Home

Ratings giant Nielsen has partnered with Californian-based media measurement system provider, Integrated Media Measurement Inc (IMMI), to provide metrics on TV viewing outside the home.

Participants will be equipped with roaming mobile phones designed to detect and record what's on TV screens wherever they are. Nielsen will then analyse 10-second clips and compare them with a database of recorded broadcast and cable television. IMMI has developed the co-branded software and claims that even the noise of a party shouldn't stop the Nielsen phones from recording the correct data.

Sarah Erichson, Executive VP Client Services, Nielsen Media Research North America says that measuring out-of-home viewing is a critical component of the firm's Anytime Anywhere Media Measurement (A2/M2) strategy: 'Utilising IMMI's technology, we will provide clients with enhanced intelligence and insight about this important activity within the television audience.'

Three thousand participants from six cities – New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Denver and Houston – have already been recruited, and there are plans to recruit 1700 others for it to be a demographically representative group. Nielsen will eventually integrate the out-of-home ratings with its standard at-home ratings.

IMMI helps advertisers, broadcasters and content providers understand whether their ads are working by correlating media exposure and consumer behaviour. The agency's Chairman and CEO Tom Zito commented: 'This co-branded product is just one example of how IMMI can help advertisers, broadcasters and content providers make better business decisions.'

The associates are online are: www.immi.com and www.nielsenmedia.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.