MRG Conference 2009: JICREG is “vital” to the industry

Roger Holland and Dick Dodson took to the stage at this year’s MRG conference in London on Tuesday in a bid to explain why JICREG remains vital to the industry.

The Joint Industry Committee for Regional Press Research provides a readership currency for British regional and local press, which is currently “under pressure due to the recession and the switch to digital”, according to Dodson and Holland.

The JICREG representatives claim their media portfolio database “provides comprehensive data on the industry” – some of which is so detailed and small that if would be “off the radar” from other measurement currencies.

However, delegates questioned JICREG’s methodology and use of server measurement data, which takes into account cookie deletion rates.

The cookie deletion rates issue caused somewhat of a stir, with some delegates arguing that website server data is unreliable because it can exaggerate the size of a site’s audience by as much as 140%.

As such, delegates warned that JICREG needs to be “careful about cookie deletion”.  In response, Dodson said the company is under constraints and added: “It’s the best [data] we’re going to get at the moment.”