Open Garden. When we last spoke, Origin, the cross-media measurement project run by ISBA, was still in testing. Where are you now?
Martin Lawson (Origin). We finished the trials last spring and Origin became an operational service in the UK in July. Today 69 advertisers use the platform. Since launch we have also widened the scope of the service with several new features.
At this stage Origin measures linear TV, YouTube and Meta. The goal is to progressively broaden media coverage.
Broadcasters were initially fairly reluctant about your initiative. Where do relations stand today?
The situation has changed a lot. Historically, some broadcasters preferred to keep their distance and rely solely on Barb measurement. Today the relationship has become far more collaborative.
We keep talking to Barb about how to integrate their data into Origin. And some broadcasters now use Origin as advertisers, to measure the deduplicated reach and frequency of their own marketing campaigns. Sky, for instance, is already in the programme.
You have introduced completion measurement for ad spots, by tier: 25, 50 or 75% of the spot. How do you measure that?
For TV, completion is measured directly through our panel of 2,500 households, established by Kantar Media, which lets us observe consumption second by second. That gives us a precise estimate of ad completion rates.
For digital video, the platforms supply impression signals directly, but they have to comply with an independent audit framework to guarantee data quality and reliability (Meta, for example, does not currently provide completion data, ed.).
Your measurement covers linear TV, Meta and YouTube for now. What comes next?
In the coming months we will add Amazon and TikTok. That will take us to roughly 70% of UK ad investment, against about 60% today.
What about streaming platforms like Netflix or Disney+?
We are working on a VOD solution that will launch later this year. It will cover BVOD and SVOD.
Even without a direct integration with certain platforms, we will be able to measure their consumption through our panel. Of course, where a direct integration exists, you get a higher level of granularity. We are also in discussions with Pinterest and with Samsung Ads, to integrate its CTV inventory.
Could the measurement also cover display formats, which are increasingly popular in CTV?
Yes, absolutely. The Amazon integration, for example, will include both video and display inventory. The same logic applies to our discussions with Samsung Ads.
What is the product roadmap for Origin?
Several developments are planned. An API system, to let agencies feed Origin data directly into their media planning or reporting tools. Finer audience granularity, a breakdown of contacts reached by device (mobile, TV, big screen and so on), and measurement of actual exposure duration, on top of the quartile completion rates you mentioned.
Is the data available in real time?
There is a slight delay. TV data has to be consolidated over a week, notably to include catch-up. That is why data is available with roughly a week's lag.
You also work with Aquila, the equivalent initiative in the United States. Where are they?
We work very closely with them. Several partners are shared, notably Kantar for the panel and Accenture for technology development. Even though the markets differ, this is in reality a coordinated effort between the two teams.
Aquila is still in testing with some advertisers today, but for those participants the platform already works almost like a live service. Opening it to more advertisers is planned before the end of the year.
Last question: are there discussions with Médiamétrie or other European initiatives?
We have regular informal exchanges with other measurement players. The ecosystem is relatively small and the organisations talk to each other often, notably at conferences or in working groups. So ideas and lessons learned circulate fairly freely between markets.
