Barb Integrates Traded Audiences with CFlight Service

UK television and video ad currency provider Barb has announced a major upgrade to its CFlight cross-media campaign reporting service. The tool now promises advertisers and agencies comprehensive campaign performance data against fourteen key traded audience groups.

CFlight, described as the world's only joint-industry total campaign reporting service, provides free campaign validation for advertisers, with reports being made available through their media buying agencies. Barb announced in September that it would be taking over responsibility for the tool in the UK - it was originally created in the US by NBCU and adapted for the UK marketplace by Sky. In November, Barb outlined a timetable for upgrading CFlight and appointed Luca Vannini for the newly created role of Head of Campaign Audiences, leading delivery of total campaign reporting.

The fourteen traded audiences now incorporated are ABC1 Adults; ABC1 Housepersons; ABC1 Men; ABC1 Women; Adults 16+; Adults 16-34; Adults 25-44; Adults 45+; Housepersons; Housepersons with Children; Men 16+; Men 16-34; Women 16+; Women 16-34.

Combining device data from Sky Media, ITV Media and 4 Sales with Barb's panel data, the tool provides users with accountability on ad campaigns across both linear and video-on-demand (VOD) services, and is positioned as a complement to Barb's Advanced Campaign Hub, which provides pre-campaign planning analysis across linear channels and VOD services, including budget optimisation. Clearcast, RSMB, TechEdge and media auditor ABC have all been involved in developing and auditing the process involved, and members of the IPA's TV Research Action Group (TRAG) have taken part in late-stage testing of the latest upgrade since February. Access has now been extended to all media agencies as part of a beta phase expected to last a couple of months, and all full Barb licensees - including VODs and streaming services - will have the option to join and access the solution. This includes recent sign-ups Disney+, Netflix and (Barb's press release acknowledges for the first time) Prime Video.

'This business-critical development of CFlight is transformational for advertisers and media buyers' says Vannini. 'For the first time, they have free access to total campaign performance reporting against major trading audiences. Full investment accountability on campaigns that run across what people watch in the UK, both on both linear and VOD services, is now available from this ground-breaking industry collaboration'.

Web site: www.cflight.co.uk .