Marshall Highlights Planning Currency For Online As Key Factor For 2008
A single, industry-endorsed audience research system for online is ‘critically important’, according to Jim Marshall, chairman of Starcom and the IPA Media Futures Group.
Marshall recently wrote in the IPA’s newsletter, that a measurement system, achieved through the IAB, would “enable advertisers to use the internet with a far greater degree of confidence in what it will deliver beyond its transactional capabilities.”
At last year’s MediaTel Group ‘Future of Media Research’ seminar, Louise Ainsworth, managing director for Nielsen//NetRatings, expressed the same view, saying a single online planning currency was absolutely necessary.
“Online should be right at the heart of what’s happening in measurement going forward,” she said.
She illustrated that because there was so much going on in the industry that it was now important to move on from the basic debate and get the currency in place so that things could move forward (see Single Planning Currency For The Internet Is ‘Absolutely Necessary’).
Following the seminar, Peter Bowman, manager of the Joint Industry Committee for Internet Measurement Systems (JICIMS), responded, saying it was not an easy task, and a JICIMS planning currency “would have to bestow ‘added value’ over and above that which is currently available (see
Moving Towards A Planning Currency For Online Tickets Selling Fast For ‘Future Of Online’ Seminar).
Marshall writes that 2008 could be a “defining year for the internet” with a greater level of convergence occurring. He comes across as very positive about what this year holds for the media industry in general.
It will be “challenging” for advertisers, agencies and media owners he offers, citing economic uncertainty as the main problem for advertisers and agencies.
For the media, he says that the first quarter looks encouraging, with growth predicted for all the main media. He points out, however, that this was against a low base in 2007, when revenue declined in the first quarter of 2007.
So, the challenge is to “maintain momentum beyond the first quarter”. However, he writes that most media “are in better shape now than last year”, with ITV more confident and focussed, newspapers looking to drive interest in the sector, and commercial radio’s ownership more structured.
He also looks to the fact that “all of the ‘traditional’ media are developing increasingly successful digital opportunities.”
He writes: “Of course the internet will continue to grow, but it is now reorganised as being complementary to other media channels as opposed to being directly competitive”, adding “even with reasonable revenue growth, advertising costs are not set to rise significantly because of further increased commercial audiences.”
Starcom: www.starcomww.com