ISBA, the trade body for UK advertisers, has launched a cross-media measurement programme that aims to incorporate global principles and audience measurement approaches currently being developed by the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA).

Called “Origin”, the programme is described as one of the first national executions of the initiative that the WFA outlined in October and which has the support of some of the world’s biggest brands, including Unilever and Procter & Gamble.

ISBA said the UK should take a leading role in translating the measurement approach being developed by the WFA and its member organisations into a “practical, privacy-safe solution” to help advertisers improve the way they manage their media buys.

Speaking at the asi International TV & Video conference in Prague last week, ISBA director general Phil Smith said ISBA wanted to work with advertisers, publishers, broadcasters, digital platforms and agencies to develop a “comprehensive solution”.

“It will be critical that the UK approach is consistent with global principles, especially in respecting consumer privacy and complying with current and future regulation in this area,” he said.

“We look forward to further discussions with broadcasters, publishers and UK JICs [joint industry currencies] to establish how this can support and enhance existing media currencies,” he added.

ISBA’s initiative received strong support from other industry bodies, including WFA, the Advertising Association and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA).

“It is hugely encouraging that ISBA is taking up the baton in seeking to implement WFA’s global principles for cross-media measurement,” said Stephan Loerke, CEO of WFA. “We look forward to other national associations stepping forward to take on this much-needed work.”

Keith Weed, president of the Advertising Association, described Origin as “a critical step to improved public trust in advertising”, while Belinda Beeftink, the IPA’s director of media research, noted that Origin would complement its own TouchPoints planning tool that provides data on broadcast video-on-demand (BVoD).

“Touchpoints is used as a planning tool and can provide data to better understand what BVoD adds to campaigns. The new ISBA initiative, Origin, will focus on campaign evaluation,” she said. “So, they should complement each other well.”

Sourced from ISBA, IPA; additional content by WARC staff