Those last two data sets, at this point, “can be used for research and planning purposes, but not for transaction,” Gilberti said. That includes second-by-second measurements similar to what such players as Comscore and VideoAmp offer.
Nielsen's two-fold reporting system—using panel-based numbers for currency but putting big data reports into the marketplace as well—has drawn criticism privately from some media companies and publicly from the trade organization the Video Advertising Bureau. VAB CEO Sean Cunningham has criticized simultaneous reporting of divergent and sometimes contradictory data sets.
“What we have seen of [Nielsen One] thus far reveals it to be a work in progress from all angles,” said Cunningham in an email statement. “For all involved in the buy/sell multi-screen TV and premium video ad marketplace there needs to be many successive months and quarters of stable and coherent [Nielsen One] data demonstrated, all with deep disclosures of methodology and process, before any determination of market co-readiness for [Nielsen One] as future currency can be contemplated.”
So far, while numerous networks now offer data from rivals such as Comscore, VideoAmp, iSpot.tv and Samba TV as currency alternatives, none has yet signed on to do so with Nielsen One.
Compared to competitors, what Nielsen One provides is a “holistic view” that aligns measurement across every platform “to produce numbers that are comparable across linear TV, computers and mobile,” Gilberti said. “The presence of Nielsen panel data provides an opportunity for us to have a truth set against which to calibrate and correct for any biases in the data.”
Gilberti also provided a look at the data dashboard clients can use. That includes looks at campaign reach, frequency and target efficiency across platforms and publishers by demographic, with the ability to customize looks by demographic. Ultimately, she said, the dashboard will allow for similar breakdowns according to custom audience or outcome analytics as Nielsen One launches that capability in tests beginning later this year—initially with packaged goods and automotive marketers.