IAB Defines 'Segments and Techniques'

In the US, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released a 'Data Segments & Techniques Lexicon', to provide media planners with standard terminology for data segments and collection techniques.

The lexicon is broken down into four categories, addressing the questions:

• Source - was the data obtained through online or off-line collection?
• Attribution - was the data obtained by the owner of the web site, or from a third party?
• Derivation - is segmentation based on information provided by a user, or from observed user behavior? and
• Modality - does the information describe a user's current state, or predict future behavior?

The new tool is the latest addition to the IAB's efforts to 'demystify data' and builds on last year's 'Data Usage & Control Primer', which sets out standards relating to data usage and collection across interactive advertising.

Both were developed by the IAB Data Council, which was set up in March to establish transparency, accountability, and consumer protection in data usage.

Patrick Dolan, who heads the council, and is EVP and COO of the IAB, explains: 'By establishing a common lexicon of data segments and collection techniques, the IAB aims to cut through the industry's vocabulary jumble, simplifying the buying process between media planners and publishers and data providers.'

For more information, visit: www.iab.net/data_lexicon .