by nick burfitt

Nearly 100 years on from the invention of the television by John Logie Baird , TV is now a fusion of audio-visual experiences , delivered to Internet-connected PCs , laptops , smartphones , tablets , games consoles , set-top boxes , DVRs and , yes , not forgetting , TV sets . It delivers linear , time-shifted , place-shifted , catch-up and on-demand experiences .

As the world of TV viewing transforms , the demands placed upon TV audience measurement are also changing , where it is now important to have a holistic view of audience behaviour . Measurement techniques have evolved , from measuring the TV set to measuring TV as a cross-device , cross-platform medium .

Here is a look at the key changes and how TV measurement is responding :

The boom in broadcaster video-on-demand ( VoD )

Over recent years , broadcasters have embraced online services as an extended means of distributing content . Online video services enable broadcasters to extend viewing across devices and give consumers access to content whenever and wherever they choose . Far from being a threat to TV , the Internet has liberated TV content — and the advertising that sits alongside it — to be available anytime and anywhere .

TV measurement currency services have responded to this shift by capturing census data from tagged online players , which is then combined with panel data to provide people-level insights into audiences ’ online consumption . In other words , sophisticated data integration has become critical . Today , it is all about a hybrid approach to measurement , integrating census and panel data to ensure a complete view of the total audience .

A regional example of a market which has embraced this approach is Hong Kong , where all viewing on the TV set , including content transmitted via over-the-top ( OTT ) media boxes , will soon be measured .

Social is amplifying the power of TV

Social media platforms have emerged as a complementary part of the broadcast experience and are playing a rapidly growing role in how the value of TV extends within and beyond the broadcast window .

Marketers are now able to leverage the engagement opportunities that span from broadcast across social channels . By understanding the social media patterns around specific programmes , broadcasters can extend viewer engagement beyond the TV broadcast itself . Brands can therefore enhance their targeting to more socially engaged viewers .

In the Philippines , there is high engagement on Twitter around sporting events . A recent volleyball championship match triggered nearly 100,000 Tweets , with the audience showing brand affinity to particular brands in the food and beauty categories . This data can be leveraged for greater audience understanding , and targeting .

The potential of programmatic

Programmatic ’ s uptake in the broadcast sector , while slow , is steadily gaining traction as a new mechanism to trade advertising .

As the volume of user data available and number of channels and services on offer grow , we can expect the application of programmatic advertising methods in the broadcast space to increase .

For marketers , the benefits of real-time measurement could present a huge opportunity . Latin America has pioneered this form of measurement , with the industry receiving information on their audience in real-time throughout every minute of the broadcasting window in multiple markets , including Brazil .

Niche becoming normal

Whether offering regional linear broadcast content or providing interest-based short form content via YouTube , niche TV and video channels have proliferated in recent years . This is driven by greater bandwidth on cable channels , the transition to digital

TV and lower barriers to entry for online only platforms .

Hulu , Amazon , Sony Pictures , Vimeo and Roku are examples of platforms that distribute online niche channels . Sony Pictures , for instance , has differentiated itself with its AXN channel , which regularly churns out Asian reality TV series based on foreign originals . Think The Amazing Race Asia and Asia ’ s Got Talent .

This is a golden opportunity for marketers to reach a readily engaged audience in a targeted and focused way , and measurement is rising to the challenge of capturing niche viewing by integrating census-level data and return path data , or set meter panel data with traditional currency panels .

However , the new , more complicated and nuanced world of TV measurement requires more active participation from both broadcasters and media platforms . In order to achieve a truly unified industry currency , content owners will need to provide better metadata , and online video players will need to join broadcasters by ensuring they have transparent and auditable measurement systems in place .

Ultimately , TV is still the king of content — whether it is watched on the TV set from

the comfort of home , or on a smartphone from the beach — and the opportunities it offers to marketers and brands are second to none .

However , the transition from TV to total video means the industry continues to challenge itself to budget , plan , execute and measure brand campaigns to understand an audience holistically , regardless of how , when and where they are consuming content .

Nick Burfitt is managing director , APAC , Kantar Media