Unlocking the value of cross-platform measurement for advertisers and agencies

Louise Ainsworth looks at how people-based, integrated audience measurement is helping to do more than just boost the effectiveness and efficiency of advertising.
24 May 2023
media
Louise Ainsworth
Louise
Ainsworth

Executive Managing Director, Media Division, EMEA

In boardrooms across the world, something significant has happened in recent years: more business chiefs have finally come to view advertising as a strategic benefit, rather than just a cost.

It is something noted by analysts, with Ian Whittaker, founder of Liberty Sky Advisors, telling Kantar late last year that there has been a “change in conversation” in the C-suite - much of it after heeding the advice of econometric studies showing how essential it is to maintain marketing spend throughout a downturn.

By measuring the effects of historical recessionary ad investment, as the IPA has in the UK over several decades, boardrooms today could see clear evidence of the effects on profit, market share and penetration over those that curbed investment - and acted accordingly.

Students of marketing theory might feel a sense of victory here - finally, robustly evidenced arguments put into practice - but marketers cannot afford to rest on their laurels. Inflation remains stubbornly high, competition is tough, markets are crowded, and careful investment planning is a tricky game.

The next step, therefore, is to ensure advertising can remain a top strategic priority by seeking new efficiencies and becoming more effective. Which is where cross-platform measurement tools become a real focus of attention.

Improving ROI


By understanding and making the right investments in cross-platform video measurement advertisers can more effectively plan and optimise their campaigns. This is now essential. Advertisers need to understand how to reach their target audiences across different screens in a consistent and integrated manner.

Cross-platform measurement enables advertisers to evaluate the de-duplicated reach and effectiveness of their advertising, which is essential for guiding their strategies and thus improving their return on investment (ROI). 


Optimising adspend


Moreover, with the emergence of new platforms and devices, advertisers need to understand how viewership is distributed across screens and in what sequence. Cross-platform measurement provides them with the data they need to evaluate the strengths of different viewing formats and make informed decisions about how to allocate their advertising budgets.

During tough economic times, all of these factors take on a new significance. That is why the publication of two new guides explaining cross-platform measurement have arrived just when they’re needed most. 

Covering both the buy and the sell side, the reports draw on years of evidence and key learnings from our work in markets worldwide. Take a look to see how cross-media measurement - initially through TV and digital - is already giving advertisers and media agencies the data they need to engage with their audiences and optimise their investments.

We believe that more integrated measurement can unlock value by delivering insights, guiding strategy, and providing vital planning and evaluation of data. When markets are crowded, and competition cut throat, utilising these measurement tools means marketers can gain a competitive edge.


Are you ready to unlock that power?


‘Unlocking Value: an advertiser’s guide to monetising viewers across platforms’ is available to download here for free. A separate guide helping media owners and platforms is also available for download. 

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