NBCU Is Building A Multi-Currency Future That Local Advertisers Can Count On

This originally ran on NBCUniversal's blog on May 11, 2023.

Precise measurement and accurate counting are the foundation of a healthy and high-functioning TV advertising ecosystem. When marketers have the right data, they can make the right decisions. But today, consumer behavior is far too complex to be captured with a single number or simple insight. Viewers consume content across multiple platforms, screens, and devices. And to measure these multi-faceted viewing habits, advertisers need multiple types of measurement insights.

Historically, this has been difficult for local television buyers. They use advanced audience targeting tools on digital, but when it comes to accurately measuring and targeting audiences on linear, they lacked sophisticated tools and scaled currency data to better target their consumers in the local market at scale. That is, until now.

That’s why we’re unifying our audiences and ushering in a modern-day approach to measurement for local advertisers. To better reflect today’s sophisticated consumer, we are vastly increasing the number of households we measure: We used to measure 1 in every 1,600-2,000 homes in a Local DMA. Now we’re going to measure 1 in every 2-5 homes—giving advertisers an unprecedented understanding of the true size and value of their audience, while also allowing them to pinpoint the exact audience they want to reach. And there’s more: With 48-hour TV measurement reporting at this scale, we’ll be able to help our clients optimize and improve the precision of their media buys in near real time.

The moment has come for local measurement to catch up to today’s complex media marketplace. As we move to a more impression-based and advanced-audience model across all platforms, we’re excited to work with innovators to establish new standards that transform the way billions of dollars in premium local advertising are transacted. Already, our partnerships with Comscore and InnovidXP are paving the way to a new, multicurrency future—and here’s how:

Multi-Currency for Local

Last year, we certified Comscore as a currency partner, and since then Comscore has worked to ensure they could roll out person demographics by the start of the Broadcast year. For the first time, NBCUniversal will be transacting and guaranteeing on Comscore across our 31 markets and 42 NBCU and Telemundo-owned stations with plans to move to 18+ guarantees on all buys.

Comscore’s near census level data, fast 48-hour delivery speed, sophisticated advanced audience tools, consistency, and more granular scaled data, will help our advertisers to better optimize and reach their most valuable audiences. Recently, Comscore has received the support of several agency partners including MAGNA and Dentsu, who are already doing deals through this incredible technology.

Getting counting right is table stakes as we continue to move beyond historical models focused exclusively on exposure and reach, and increasingly embrace models that help our advertisers understand outcomes.

Moving Beyond Counting to True Impact

In collaboration with InnovidXP, NBCU has rolled out new impact and incrementality metrics, giving local marketers real-time, outcome based KPIs across platforms, which allows for better campaign optimization and, ultimately, increases conversions.

This strategic collaboration is helping us to facilitate the next generation of converged TV measurement methodologies. It includes the delivery of real-time audience reach, incrementality, and impact metrics across all 31 markets, including 42 NBCU and Telemundo-owned stations and 6 regional sports networks—and all NBC Spot On and Peacock inventory.

The Multi-Currency Future is Here

With these partnerships, NBCUniversal can further support local marketers everywhere. Our real-time, data-driven and privacy-minded insights can better inform advertisers’ media plans in a whole host of ways—from in-flight campaign efficiency to effectiveness and frequency, to media and creative performance. But most importantly, it can deliver a bigger return on their investments. Measuring converged TV campaigns for local advertisers—across retail, insurance, education, telecom, pharma and other categories—brings us one step closer to offering a unified, industry-leading measurement solution.

At the end of the day, creating holistic, accurate measurement solutions for local and national networks is just another example of #OurPartnershipCommitment in action. When it comes to building a multicurrency future for local advertisers—you can count on us.