ISBA has hired Youview exec Tracey Kitt to lead its cross-media measurement initiative Project Origin, as Richard Halton departs.
Kitt started yesterday as Halton hands over and reports to the Origin Steering Group.
Halton, who also previously worked at YouView, will leave at the end of October and to go to US streaming company Roku to develop their UK and international strategy.
The UK’s first cross media measurement initiative aims to show audience impact for advertisers across TV, digital and social channels like Facebook, Google, Amazon and others using deduplication methodology called the Virtual ID model.
However, Project Origin has attracted controversy as TV companies have been reticent to commit funding and support to a project that, from their standpoint, puts self-reported digital platform numbers alongside independently-verified TV audience ratings.
Phil Sumner, vice-president insights Northern Europe at Teads, told Mediatel News: “Reaching an industry-wide consensus on cross media measurement remains one of the industry’s greatest unsolved challenges internationally, as does the funding needed to support such initiatives long term.
“As most of the open web relies on ad funded businesses models, fair and equal representation – especially vs. other digital walled gardens – will be critical as to not disadvantage large portions of our vibrant media ecosystem in the UK.”
Kitt is currently chief operating officer of YouView and previous roles at the company over eight years range in delivery and operations and she will move Origin from prototype and proof of concept to initial trials in the next year.
Kitt said of her new role: “I’m delighted to be taking over leadership of this important programme at a key point of transition, with a prototype and proof of concept complete and a great team ready to move into delivery.
Writing for Mediatel News last October, Halton laid out the case for why advertisers are demanding cross-media measurement.
“[Origin’s aim is] to allow marketeers to see the de-duplicated value of their media spend while sparing the consumer the pain of excess frequency along the way,” Halton wrote. “And in doing so, to create a transparent, independent framework for audited measurement that the industry can trust, creating efficiency for marketers and underpinning the differential value of each different media.”
Origin selects Kantar as its supplier
Origin chose Kantar as its preferred supplier of its single source household panel after a four-month tender.
The panel will measure TV, online video and digital display advertising and plans to build a full reporting sample for beta testing for the start of 2023.
Kantar is the current holder of BARB’s audience measurement contract.
