MRG One Day Conference: Making The Internet Accountable

Richard Foan, managing director of ABC Electronic and Roger Holland, executive chairman of JICNET, told delegates at the MRG conference last week that significant steps needed to be taken if the internet is to become “a truly accountable medium.”

Foan explained that the tools capable of making complete accountability possible are already in place but that the absence of industry wide standards mean that the internet is not fulfilling its potential.

He made it clear that the sheer volume of conflicting research was confusing potential advertisers, driving them away for the medium. He said that research companies like Jupiter MMXI and NetRatings, which have recently announced plans to merge (see NetRatings Acquires Jupiter MMXI), are taking steps in the right direction, but emphasised that the push for universal standards needs the continued support of the industry.

Holland added weight to Foan’s argument saying that agencies are not treating the internet as a “serious medium” due to a lack or proper universe data. He called for support in developing site centric data systems and attacked research companies for producing data that is “below standard.”

He called on industry players to establish a “robust consistent and single currency for planning, buying and selling internet advertising” and said that if action is not taken to “end the confusion and chaos” advertiser confidence in the medium will be lost and internet revenue will “dwindle.”

More information about the MRG conference can be found on the MRG website: www.mrg.org.uk