VAB Unveils Measurement Innovation Task Force, NBCU On Board

The VAB today announced a new Measurement Innovation Task Force that will “formally mobilize a highly effective group of the top strategic minds in research, analytics and insights from TV publisher companies to accelerate the pace of overdue innovation in media measurement and currency.”

In this collaborative effort among VAB member companies, VAB said its leadership “will create the unified best practices and standards for the national TV ad industry, as the VAB seeks to best partner with marketers on the highest-order media measurement solutions for the full marketing ecosystem.”

The VAB Measurement Innovation Task Force will engage deeply with cross-industry initiatives including the ANA’s Cross-Media Measurement Initiative, OpenAP’s OpenID, and NBCUniversal’s new cross-industry Measurement Innovation Forum.

Sean Cunningham, VAB president and CEO, said: “The time for action and innovation on measurement is now. That’s why I’m excited to announce the VAB’s new Measurement Innovation Task Force. Our role will be to immediately plug directly into a range of cross-industry initiatives, which first include the ANA’s Cross-Media Measurement initiative, OpenAP’s Open ID and NBCUniversal’s new cross-industry Measurement Innovation Forum.

“As each of these complementary initiatives explore, evaluate, and expand new measurement yardsticks, our new Task Force will provide regular feedback, questions, and perspective on behalf of every VAB member company. By combining the insights of existing initiatives and the involvement of the Task Force, we can finally build a future that works for our entire industry — and the VAB is certainly the natural bridge between all of these vital efforts.”

At the same time, NBC Universal’s Kelly Abcarian, EVP, measurement and impact, advertising and partnerships, said it is joining the VAB Measurement Innovation Task Force. “This effort will also plug into NBCU’s newly created Measurement Innovation Forum, which will allow experts and leaders from across our industry — such as key brands, holding companies, and additional trade bodies — to weigh in the process and progress towards new measurement solutions. Both these initiatives already have widespread industry support, and the necessary momentum to drive meaningful action.”