The Time Is Now: Universal Metrics For Cross-Platform Ad Buys

It’s becoming more and more common for advertisers to package buys across a variety of platforms, which offers maximized reach, targeting, and audience data. But how is that possible without standard cross-platform metrics? For example, look at the difference in “video view” classifications on different social platforms:We need to start by getting digital platforms on the same page, settling on universal metrics, and working closely with the Media Ratings Council (MRC) to ensure valid, reliable, and effective measurement services.This is why industry leaders, like Group M’s Rino Scanzoni, have called for new industry standards that can track content running across desktop, smartphones, and smart TV’s. With nearly 40% of US millennial households relying solely on internet streaming and broadcast, the time is now. And collectively, the industry needs to work together to develop accepted and universal standards.But the digital duopoly (Google and Facebook) own such a large share of the advertising spend, there is no sense of urgency to “fix what isn’t broken” for them. They have such a large piece of the pie, publishers like Conde Nast, NBCU and Vox have even joined forces to allow brands to buy digital inventory across all three media companies, in an effort to increase their share of the digital ad spend.P&G’s Marc Pritchard also spoke out recently, calling for the digital world to clean up, which he wants to see implemented by the end of the year if digital domains want to continue getting budgets from the corporation.With publishers banning together, Group M shining a light on the problem at hand, and the world’s largest advertiser laying down the law, change looks promising. And these implementations will not only lead to increased value for advertisers digitally, but lay the groundwork for future cross-platform campaigns.