Ted McConnell discusses several key issues regarding the future of audience measurement in digital marketing. He notes that while measurement has traditionally driven digital marketing, it is important to measure the quality of attention and context, not just impressions. New approaches are also needed to integrate behavioral data and real-time response loops into broader planning. Planning in digital is challenging as decisions must be made within 100 milliseconds. Standards for measurement are important to gain buyer trust and enable breakthroughs, but a balance is required between standards and proprietary methods.

1. Ted McConnell
The Future of
Audience Measurement

2. Deconstructing a Quote
“Measurement drives digital
marketing”, he says
“but measurement should
endeavor to correlate the quality of
attention, and the quality of
context –not just impressions.
We also need to examine the
balance between standards and
proprietary methods and data if we
are going for breakthrough,
and I think we need to find ways
to integrate behavioral segments
and “sense and respond” loops
into broader planning approaches”
adding, “planning is a different
game when you have to make
your decisions inside the 100
millisecond latency window."

3. “Measurement drives digital marketing”, he says
Chicken or Egg?
• How does Measurement drive media?
• The test of a principle … is the opposite ridiculous?
• Clicks and Weblogs Count. Panels, Copy Testing etc. came later.
• What’s changing is ad models.
• So, Media Drives Measurement, but the opposite truth is more useful.
If you want better advertising, measure everything and make sacrifices
to do it right.

4. “but measurement should endeavor to correlate the quality of attention, and
the quality of context –not just impressions.”
What is Quality in
Digital Media?
What’s in a media salesman’s briefcase? Hint: Quality Reasons to Believe.
Opportunity to see
• Context vs Behavior … Its an “AND”.
• How: Buy side quality metrics, real time: Dwell time and Ad Load
• Bucket list:
1) Develop and deploy a taxonomy of “What” . Aboutness.
2) Develop and deploy a surrogate for context quality which is biddable.
3) Qualify DATA: RTB parameters which estimate the probability that the
consumer is who the cookie tells us they are.

5. We also need to examine the balance between standards and proprietary
methods and data if we are going for breakthrough
Breakthrough, I argue, is ALWAYS a results of a standard.
Buyer trust is the key.
• Measures are a shortcut to common meaning.
• What are the barriers to Standard measurement? Enablers?
• And.. What about the vaunted “Click”?
• Perfection vs Pragmatism.
So…. If you want breakthrough IMO, you must have a measurement
standard.

6. “and I think we need to find ways to integrate behavioral segments and “sense and respond” loops into broader planning
approaches”
adding, “planning is a different game when you have to make your decisions inside the 100 millisecond latency window."
Planner, meet Trafficker
• “Perfect and launch”. (T-x)
• Fixing the “Demand Chain”: “sense and respond”
• Trafficking in Automated environments. A whole different deal.
Systems thinking required.
• The planner’s dilemma: Segment meaning and performance is
complex. Its data, its now. What’s an audience segment really?
• What matters: Decision engine, data quality, Inventory scope.