IPA Unveils Single Source Media Planning Tool
The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising has secured some of the UK’s biggest media owners to support the long-awaited launch of the industry’s first single-source media planning tool.
The new TouchPoints initiative is the result of an extensive industry-wide consultation and has been created to fill the gaps between the existing trading currencies used across different types of media, from BARB’s set-top audience meters to RAJAR’s diary system.
ITV, Emap and News International are just some of the high-profile brand-owners behind the survey, which will allow advertisers to link information on how the public consume all kinds of media from television, press, radio and cinema to outdoor, the internet, SMS and direct mail.
The IPA claims the TouchPoints project will not only ensure that the current gold standard trading currencies are preserved, but will help improve the profile of the media industry, which has been hit by the lack of a credible multi-media planning tool.
Commenting on the initiative, the IPA’s research director, Lynne Robinson, said: “The IPA TouchPoints survey is designed to address a major gap in the knowledge and tools available in the media industry. In addition to being of great practical use, we hope that the TouchPoints survey will also increase the perceived professionalism of the media industry.”
The study, which is the first of its kind in the UK, will be based on a panel of 5,000 participants, who will record their media consumption at half hourly intervals throughout the day. The information will then be integrated with the existing industry trading currencies.
IPA TouchPoints is currently being piloted by research contractor NOP and the first data will be published in spring 2005. Other founding partners signed up to drive the project forward, include AOL, BBC, Chrysalis, JCDecaux, Guardian Newspapers, SMG and Wanadoo.
The launch of the initiative has been welcomed by Justin Sampson, director of customer relationship marketing at ITV Sales, who said: “ITV recognises the significance of this initiative to our customers, as it will enable them to enhance the usefulness of the silo-based research planning tools that they have had to completely rely on until now.”
For more information on the new TouchPoints initiative please see today’s NewsLine Column: Introducing Multi-Media Measurement, which has been written exclusively for NewsLine by the IPA’s research director, Lynne Robinson.
IPA: 020 7235 7020 www.ipa.co.ukRecent Related Stories from NewsLine Virgin Chief Calls For Single Source Planning Tool RAB Calls For Single Audience Measurement System RAJAR Launches Consultation On Electronic Measurement
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