A quantum leap for TV planning
If Publica Data expands access to PIN data from TV research starting this summer, TV planning will become more diverse and transparent. However, this will only happen if at least seven agencies and media buyers participate, despite the high costs.
At last: PIN data for the TV advertising market will be available from the summer." This is how the Swiss Advertisers Association (SWA) rejoiced on its homepage when Mediapulse AG and its marketing partner Publica Data AG (PDAG) launched their PIN data offer in October. The SWA had long been calling for the release of so-called personalized usage data. PIN data is the raw material from TV research: a mix of socio-demographic information from the Telecontrol panel lists, usage data collected to the second and the broadcast logs containing the advertising blocks.
Agencies and TV providers already have access to this data via today's evaluation and planning tools, but it is already bundled according to target groups or time periods. This bundling - also known as aggregation - makes handling clearer, simpler and, above all, more uniform.
At the end of January, PDAG followed up its announcement with action and made a concrete offer to media agencies and TV marketers. This provides for the delivery of PIN data at a lower aggregation level from summer 2009. For example, whereas the advertising block ratings could previously only be analyzed by target group, ratings by person (or more precisely, by each individual panel member) will now be available, as PDAG Managing Director Rolf Müller explains.
However, he warns against the "PIN data myth". Firstly, because they remain aggregated at ad unit level. "Unlike in Italy, we still don't have any ratings available at ad unit level, but the market hasn't demanded this yet," says Müller. In addition, it will not be possible to track zapping behavior to the second in the future either. "After all, we don't want any Jekami in TV research," says Müller.
EvoAd makes data analyzable
But back to the offer: in addition to the extended PIN data submission, this also provides for the submission of standard software for advertising planning called EvoAd (working title), with which the data can be analyzed. Data and software must be purchased as a package. "EvoAd will lead to a quantum leap in TV planning," predicts Müller. The main advantage: anyone working with EvoAd in future will be able to dispense with the previous planning and evaluation tools, the NewMediaReporter from Mediapulse and the Media Optimizer from Publisuisse. "You can't calculate campaign reach with the Media Optimizer, and campaigns can only be optimized with the NewMediaReporter using the trial-and-error principle, which takes a lot of time," says Müller. Furthermore, the agencies were previously dependent on the marketers' performance forecasts.
"With EvoAd, however, media agencies can for the first time create their own forecasts for all advertising-relevant channels in Switzerland," emphasizes Müller. However, they can also import external forecasts, such as those of an (exclusive) marketer, and compare them with their own. This should make TV planning more transparent in the future, as any conflicts of interest on the part of marketers will be more easily recognizable as such. EvoAd also includes an optimization module that makes it much easier for agencies to meet the client's requirements. Not only can a maximum campaign reach corresponding to the budget be calculated, it can also be defined according to contact classes, a minimum thousand contact price (CPM) or the highest possible reach in large conurbations. Incidentally, the same tool is also to be introduced in Germany and Austria this summer. This is a further advantage, particularly for internationally networked agencies, as it will enable standardized reporting across the entire German-speaking region.
Direct booking is not possible
As flexible as the new software is, two key planning processes are still closed, at least at the beginning: it will not initially be possible to see whether a particular advertising block is available at all. And direct booking is also not possible. "In a second phase, however, interfaces to the various booking tools are planned," says Müller. The data marketer also points out another point: "You have to learn how to use EvoAd." The agencies therefore need to invest in additional staff, training and IT, the latter in order to be able to process the daily increase in data volumes.
Of course, the PDAG offer also includes price details: the license for software and data access is CHF 26,000 per customer per year. Agencies, marketers and advertising clients can register their interest until the end of February. "We need at least seven customers to cover the costs," says Müller. Otherwise, the exercise will be canceled for Switzerland or postponed until later. However, one thing is clear: because not all agencies can or want to keep up, the existing planning tools will be retained. Agencies will continue to pay a total of CHF 2,300 per year for these, including data.
Markus Knöpfli
Agencies and TV providers already have access to this data via today's evaluation and planning tools, but it is already bundled according to target groups or time periods. This bundling - also known as aggregation - makes handling clearer, simpler and, above all, more uniform.
At the end of January, PDAG followed up its announcement with action and made a concrete offer to media agencies and TV marketers. This provides for the delivery of PIN data at a lower aggregation level from summer 2009. For example, whereas the advertising block ratings could previously only be analyzed by target group, ratings by person (or more precisely, by each individual panel member) will now be available, as PDAG Managing Director Rolf Müller explains.
However, he warns against the "PIN data myth". Firstly, because they remain aggregated at ad unit level. "Unlike in Italy, we still don't have any ratings available at ad unit level, but the market hasn't demanded this yet," says Müller. In addition, it will not be possible to track zapping behavior to the second in the future either. "After all, we don't want any Jekami in TV research," says Müller.
EvoAd makes data analyzable
But back to the offer: in addition to the extended PIN data submission, this also provides for the submission of standard software for advertising planning called EvoAd (working title), with which the data can be analyzed. Data and software must be purchased as a package. "EvoAd will lead to a quantum leap in TV planning," predicts Müller. The main advantage: anyone working with EvoAd in future will be able to dispense with the previous planning and evaluation tools, the NewMediaReporter from Mediapulse and the Media Optimizer from Publisuisse. "You can't calculate campaign reach with the Media Optimizer, and campaigns can only be optimized with the NewMediaReporter using the trial-and-error principle, which takes a lot of time," says Müller. Furthermore, the agencies were previously dependent on the marketers' performance forecasts.
"With EvoAd, however, media agencies can for the first time create their own forecasts for all advertising-relevant channels in Switzerland," emphasizes Müller. However, they can also import external forecasts, such as those of an (exclusive) marketer, and compare them with their own. This should make TV planning more transparent in the future, as any conflicts of interest on the part of marketers will be more easily recognizable as such. EvoAd also includes an optimization module that makes it much easier for agencies to meet the client's requirements. Not only can a maximum campaign reach corresponding to the budget be calculated, it can also be defined according to contact classes, a minimum thousand contact price (CPM) or the highest possible reach in large conurbations. Incidentally, the same tool is also to be introduced in Germany and Austria this summer. This is a further advantage, particularly for internationally networked agencies, as it will enable standardized reporting across the entire German-speaking region.
Direct booking is not possible
As flexible as the new software is, two key planning processes are still closed, at least at the beginning: it will not initially be possible to see whether a particular advertising block is available at all. And direct booking is also not possible. "In a second phase, however, interfaces to the various booking tools are planned," says Müller. The data marketer also points out another point: "You have to learn how to use EvoAd." The agencies therefore need to invest in additional staff, training and IT, the latter in order to be able to process the daily increase in data volumes.
Of course, the PDAG offer also includes price details: the license for software and data access is CHF 26,000 per customer per year. Agencies, marketers and advertising clients can register their interest until the end of February. "We need at least seven customers to cover the costs," says Müller. Otherwise, the exercise will be canceled for Switzerland or postponed until later. However, one thing is clear: because not all agencies can or want to keep up, the existing planning tools will be retained. Agencies will continue to pay a total of CHF 2,300 per year for these, including data.
Markus Knöpfli
What else the new tool can do
The target groups can be formed in a similar way to before. However, flexible comparison periods (last 4 weeks, previous year) can be set when forecasting performance data. The data is based on the actual historical values of advertising blocks, but these can be evaluated according to factors (season, weekly average, daily sections or individual blocks). Strategic components such as the selection of channels or time periods can also be entered, as can specifications regarding the advertising environment, performance or budget. Another major advantage is that the values achieved so far in an ongoing campaign can be compared with the planned target and the rest of the campaign can be optimized if necessary. And, of course, performance can also be monitored retrospectively. Agencies can also manage their entire workflow and all campaign data via the new tool. (mk)
Thanks to personalized usage data (PIN), TV planning becomes more differentiated.
