From Audience Measurement to Web

Analytics

Fernando Bermejo Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Berkman Center at Harvard University, Open Society Foundations

IMMAA Workshop, June 25th,, 2012

LESS THAN TWO DECADES AGO: the measurement of media consumption was structured around independent third parties (the Nielsens and Arbitrons) that used well-established data collection techniques (surveys,

metered panels) to produce syndicated studies (homogeneously covering most media outlets) that offered a quantification of media exposure (mostly in terms of time) of a collectivity of individuals (the audience) who lived in a delimited geographical area (a market) and who were classified into general socio-demographic profiles.

Changes (1)

From independent third parties to proprietary data:

•  Nielsen/Arbitron vs. Google/Facebook

•  Knowledge

•  Conflicts of interest

Changes (2)

From gathering data to analyzing records:

• “Old” methodologies have flaws

• The data “is already there”

• The problem of “interpretation”

Changes (3) From methodological accountability to technical obscurity:

• “rankings are based on the usage patterns of Alexa Toolbar users and data collected from other, diverse sources”

• “Hitwise collects aggregate usage data from a geographically diverse range of ISP networks and opt-in panels”

Changes (4)

From timing flows of content to linking discrete online requests:

•  Before: from people to exposure

•  Now: from activity to people (tracking devices)

Changes (5)

From audiences to users:

• The people formerly known as…

• Behavior and new metrics (ie, sentiment, engagement)

Changes (6)

From collectivities to individuals:

• Audiences have also been unbundled

• The media’s problem

Changes (7)

From national and local measurement to global data collection:

•  Resources

•  Mismatch between measurement operations and media/advertising markets

Changes (&8)

From audience profiles to privacy concerns:

• It’s all about individuals

• Cat and mouse game (instead of awareness and consent).

Challenges

For media companies, for measurement operations and for

Researchers:

Access, transparency, completeness

(Mapping Digital Media project – OSF)

http://www.mediapolicy.org/

From Audience Measurement to Web

Analytics

Fernando Bermejo Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Berkman Center at Harvard University, Open Society Foundations

IMMAA Workshop, June 25th,, 2012