Barb has begun reporting overnight commercial spot ratings in beta.
The TV joint industry currency (JIC) currently reports commercial spot ratings eight days after transmission.
It also produces overnight programme logs to generate interim programme ratings, which are then updated after eight days once broadcasters provide their own logs.
With this beta launch, Barb will be able to offer overnight ratings of specific commercial spots, rather than only the programmes they ran against.
“Overnight commercial spot ratings gives media agencies and advertisers earlier insight into how their campaigns are performing,” explained Barb head of research operations Jim Jarrett.
“This meets long-standing demand from our clients to make TV ad campaign reporting more accountable, responsive and time sensitive.”
The JIC is working in partnership with Clearcast and Ad Signal on the development.
Barb first awarded Clearcast a contract to deliver interim overnight commercial spot logs in December 2023. Ad Signal, meanwhile, is monitoring Barb-reported commercial channels’ live broadcasts, matching the ads aired with Clearcast’s ad library.
This enables Barb to produce interim overnight reports, which will be accessible to clients via the Barb API and data bureaux.
“Agencies have long been asking for a single file which gives an earlier and more accurate picture of commercial audiences,” said IPA deputy research director Dan Flynn.
“This development is a welcome step in modernising trading systems and will mean that TV campaign performance can be assessed sooner than ever before.”
A spokesperson for Barb declined to estimate how long the new reporting feature will be in beta.
“While we have done rigorous testing, this is a new service and will take time to perfect,” they said. “The beta designation gives us the opportunity to work with our partners to ensure the new service is available as early as possible, but with the knowledge that it will improve with further development and feedback from users.”
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