February 21, 2011 at 3:50 PM

Global online audience measurement company Effective Measure has been appointed as its new measurement vendor as of 1 April 2011, the Digital Media & Marketing Association (DMMA) announced this afternoon, Monday 21 February. The DMMA will now be able to provide data to Telmar, the predominant strategic media planning software in South Africa.

Up until now, the DMMA has been using Nielsen.

According to the DMMA, Effective Measure not only meets each of the set-out criteria for selection of the new vendor, but offers highly sophisticated tagging technology guaranteeing accurate data, which is easily understood. Its pricing structure will permit large media owners to better represent the various sections of their websites to the marketplace, and smaller media owners to participate for the first time.

Key criteria

The key criteria included:
    •    a tag-based audience measurement service and media planning tool
    •    the ability to implement a recruited audience panel to track activity beyond member sites; and
    •    a solution which ensured that South Africa remains a "single currency" market, with a central set of measurement data that can be referenced by all stakeholders.

Furthermore, it was vital that the successful vendor guarantees a cost-effective service which doesn't hinder smaller publishers joining the DMMA, and which allows large publishers to grow affordably, as well as a clear strategy for mobile and application (app) audience measurement.

In addition to this, and perhaps most importantly, the DMMA will now provide data to Telmar, the predominant strategic media planning software in South Africa. This will ensure, for the first time, that the digital audience is presented to media planners at the earliest stages of the planning process, so that digital is considered at the same time as the more traditional media.

Elaborates James Robertson, Effective Measure founder and SVP of market development, "The enhanced digital planning capabilities of our suite will afford advertisers and media agencies with exceptional detail about the digital consumer, providing data which is comparable with traditional media."

Audience demographics by site section

Finally, Effective Measure will enable publishers to present audience demographics by site section, as opposed to by website only. This will provide clarity on specific audience segments within a site, thereby allowing digital advertisers to better reach and engage their target markets.

Comments Josh Adler, DMMA head of measurement tender, "Effective Measure's combination of technological innovation, service offering and track record in other key markets across the world provides a platform for aggressive sector growth through well-informed media planning decisions. The structure of the deal allows the DMMA to measure a far larger market footprint and share data with strategic partners to encourage investment."

Effective Measure is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and has offices in Dubai, New York, Sydney, Bangkok, and now in South Africa.

According to a press statement, the DMMA has long promoted accurate, efficient and cost-effective digital publishing measurement as being vital for growth in the local digital sector. The rigorous and well-governed tender process allowed the elected sub-committee to evaluate a number of global suppliers and select the measurement solution most suited to the South African market place.