As media consumption becomes more fragmented across multiple devices and platforms, it’s critical for advertisers and agencies to use cross-platform measurement solutions to track audience behavior across all channels. By understanding how audiences engage with content across different screens and platforms, advertisers and agencies will optimize their media strategies to ensure that their advertising dollars are being spent effectively.
Comscore Everywhere and Nielsen One are both media measurement services that help companies understand how audiences engage with various forms of media. Both companies currently only offer their cross-platform solution nationally, but plan to bring these offerings to the local level, with timelines still TBD.
ComScore Everywhere
- Launched in January 2022
- Offers a comprehensive view of audience behavior across all screens and devices
- Provides insights into audience demographics, content consumption, and advertising effectiveness across TV, digital, and mobile platforms
- Uses a combination of panel-based measurement, census-level data, and advanced analytics
- Links audience insights and ad exposure across platforms including walled gardens (like Meta/Facebook) and programmatic platforms
- Measurement sources include:
- 68M+ TV screens in over 35M homes
- CTV devices in the US where the user accessed a tagged application
- Desktops, Smartphones, and tablets (Android or iOS) in the US where user either accessed a tagged application or website
Nielsen One
- Launched in January 2023
- Offers a holistic view of audience engagement across all media platforms
- Provides real-time, cross-platform measurement of audience behavior
- Uses a combination of panel-based measurement, census-level data, and machine learning
- Provides a comprehensive understanding of audience behavior across all screens
- Measurement sources include:
- Viewership on nearly 100M devices in over 35M homes
- National panel of over 42,000+ HH/101,000+ persons
Key Differences:
Comscore, traditionally known for its digital audience measurement and analytics, has been striving to expand its person-based measurement capabilities. Person-based measurement focuses on tracking and understanding individual consumers across various devices and platforms. Nielsen has been a leader in this area with its panel-based approach, which involves recruiting a representative group of households or individuals to gather data on their media consumption habits.
Comscore is working to provide similar person-based measurement capabilities. This involves developing methodologies and technologies to track individual consumers across devices and platforms accurately. By doing so, Comscore aims to offer comprehensive insights into consumer behavior and preferences, enabling advertisers, media companies, and marketers to make more informed decisions.
Nielsen recognizes the increasing importance of measuring media consumption at a more granular level, particularly at the device level. With the proliferation of digital platforms and devices, capturing data at the device level becomes crucial for understanding how consumers engage with content across multiple screens.
Nielsen is working on augmenting its panel-based measurements by incorporating additional data sources. This includes data from various digital platforms, streaming services, and other sources to supplement its panel data. By combining panel-based insights with aggregated data, Nielsen aims to provide more detailed and precise measurements, catering to the evolving media landscape and advertisers’ needs.
The Future of Cross-Platform Measurement and Audience Behavior Tracking
Both Comscore and Nielsen are striving to bridge the gaps in their measurement capabilities to stay competitive in the evolving media and advertising industry. Their efforts involve leveraging new technologies, partnerships, and data sources to deliver comprehensive, accurate, and detailed measurements that cater to the changing media consumption habits of consumers and allow agencies and advertisers to better understand audience behavior.
For brands, the power of cross-platform measurement lies in its ability to capture a comprehensive view of audience engagement. By tracking audience behavior across a fragmented media landscape, these tools empower advertisers to tailor media strategies to the habits and preferences of consumers, maximizing the impact of their ad spend.
As media fragmentation continues to intensify, cross-platform measurement will play an increasingly pivotal role in understanding where, how, and why audiences engage with content. Solutions like Comscore Everywhere and Nielsen One represent the forefront of this field, combining person-based and device-level data to offer a dynamic and in-depth perspective on audience behavior across today’s complex media ecosystem.
