Unilever has quietly been working on what it claims is the first cross-media measurement model to help its brands track campaign impact across the media landscape.
The consumer goods giant revealed this week that as part of its 2018 Responsibility Framework it’s made significant steps towards building the measurement model, working with Facebook, Google, Twitter and Kantar Media.
The model combines industry tools into a system to measure a campaign audience, audience reaction and campaign impact over the short, medium and long-term.
A key challenge in the industry has been finding a holistic measurement system, so Unilever’s announcement is likely welcomed news. While platforms frequently add to the clutter of measurement tools, such as Amazon’s new-to-brand metric, they’ve been faulted for being ‘walled gardens’.
Outgoing Unilever CMO Keith Weed said working alongside other groups across the industry is key to getting it right.
“For a more transparent and high-quality digital ecosystem, our partnerships have been, and will remain, instrumental in developing an always-on, privacy-safe model for cross media measurement,” Weed said.
“We are hugely encouraged that our digital and measurement partners worked with us. It represents a genuine willingness across the industry to find creative, effective solutions to shared issues.”
Unilever, which is one of the world's largest advertisers, has brands including Dove, Vaseline, Lipton and Cornetto.
As part of the development, Unilever has been working with the World Federation of Advertisers and other, unspecified, industry bodies to invite other brands, platforms and publishers to work on the model.
It touts the tool as a global solution that prioritises privacy and customer experience.
A series of high-profile data breaches at companies such as Facebook and Google has put privacy at the forefront of advertisers’ minds, meaning new measurement tools need to strike a balance between gathering valuable data and protecting privacy.
Speaking to AdNews recently, Eyeota international MD Aaron Jackson said it’s crucial the industry takes consumers’ privacy concerns seriously when collecting data.
Facebook, which has been tainted with privacy breaches over the years, has also been involved in the process with VP of marketing solutions Carolyn Everson saying privacy is a concern for the company.
“It’s important that we and others work toward a cross-media measurement solution,” Everson said.
“One that leverages independent third-party systems, protects privacy, and improves people’s experience with ads.”
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