Barb Launches Trustmark, Opens Up Co-viewing Data

UK ad currency body Barb is to give all its members access to its data on the average numbers of people in a household watching TV together; and separately has unveiled a new Trustmark QA indicator for use both by its customers and other companies within its Trusted Data Delivery Network.

The latter includes all the companies that work with Barb to deliver audience measurement services, participating in a joint industry governance process designed to guarantee levels of operational quality, corporate responsibility and compliance with standards.

Companies providing analytics services to those relying on Barb data for both commercial and regulatory purposes can also use the Trustmark to demonstrate that they are reporting data compliant with industry standards. Barb oversees such providers to ensure its numbers are used alongside other joint industry standards as appropriate - for example those of the MRC, with whom it agreed in May to work more closely.


Barb has been publishing co-viewing factors for several years via research agency partner RSMB, for use in developing services such as Advanced Campaign Hub and CFlight: these indicate the average number of people in a household watching specific channels and / or services. Starting this week, Barb will for the first time make the data available to all its subscribers, via its web site. The figures, which will be updated quarterly, with data based on a rolling 24 weeks of viewing, include any linear, video-on-demand (VOD) or streaming service with a viewing share of more than 0.5% of total viewing. Averages are split out by day part, sex and age group.

Barb CEO Justin Sampson (pictured) says the Trustmark 'will assure data analysts of the industry standards that underpin the collection, compilation and reporting of Barb's viewing figures'. He adds: 'Our ability to meet expected standards relies on many companies that are part of our Trusted Data Delivery Network. We're pleased to have worked with many of these companies for several years and have been stimulated this year by conversations with other companies that have ideas for how we can deliver data in a way that's both fresh and rigorous'.

Sampson continues: 'The growing interest in co-viewing factors across our industry recognises a critical co-dependency. Data sourced from the devices people use to watch is reliant on real-life observations on human behaviour to identify how many people are watching, and who they are watching with'.

The organisation is online at www.barb.co.uk .