Marketers will not buy what they can't measure

Filed in archive Business Trends on April 19, 2006

A common question asked of me by venture capitalists and entrepreneurs is what will it take for advertisers to start buying newer forms of video in large number. Perhaps the large barrier is the lack of adequate measurement tools to allow marketers to commit dollars to digital platforms.

Nielsen Media Research has not kept up with the needs of marketers. Marketers will not buy what they can't measure. For example, even though HDTV is extremely "engaging," Nielsen does not yet measure such channels.

"It's hard to justify spending the money, that's a real problem to get over," Tim Hanlon, senior VP-Denuo Group, said.