MRC OKs Nielsen's Online Campaign System

In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has accredited the Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings measurement system, launched recently to provide overnight audience reach, frequency, and Gross Rating Points (GRPs) for Internet display and video advertising.

According to Nielsen, the system is the first MRC-accredited service to provide demographic ratings for online ad campaigns. Introduced last month, it uses a patent-pending process combining traditional Nielsen TV and online panel data with aggregated, anonymous demographic information from participating online data providers.

Using this hybrid approach, Nielsen says it is able to provide reach, frequency and GRP measures for Internet ad campaigns of nearly any size, running nearly anywhere on the web. Campaign reporting is available the day after the launch of a campaign.

Steve Hasker, Nielsen's President, Media Product and Advertiser Solutions, comments on the accreditation: 'Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings provides the trusted metrics needed to prove the true value of advertising on a site, in terms that are familiar to brand marketers and comparable to other media. MRC accreditation is a critical step to ensuring both buyers and sellers have absolute confidence in the information they use to plan and negotiate online advertising.'

Web sites: www.mediaratingcouncil.org and www.nielsen.com .