Nielsen Goes On Location

The Nielsen Co. Thursday announced it will expand its suite of out-of-home media measurement services to cover the $1.3 billion advertiser-based video network business.

The new service, dubbed Nielsen On Location Media, will provide syndicated reporting for advertiser-backed video networks in health clubs, gas stations, hotels, retail outlets, amusement parks, arenas, on airplanes, and other commercial locations.

The Nielsen On Location Media reports are expected to help the out-of-home video network business quantify and monetize the value of its advertising. The development of these standardized reports with industry-wide metrics was done in consultation with agencies and advertisers, the video networks and their trade organization, the Out-of-Home Video Advertising Bureau (OVAB).

“The Out-of-Home Video Advertising Bureau recognizes the importance of our industry providing advertisers and agencies with consistent and comparable audience metrics,” Suzanne Alecia, president of the OVAB, said in a statement. “It is important for the networks and their research providers to follow these Guidelines so we are pleased that one of the most recognized brands in media measurement is providing a solution that is intended to be consistent with them.”

IdeaCast’s Health Club TV is the first Nielsen On Location Media report and covers advertising in the network’s 1,000 health clubs across the U.S. Nielsen has recently released January through July 2008 data for IdeaCast to its advertiser and agency clients. Other networks that have committed to syndicated reports from Nielsen On Location Media include:

-- Gas Station TV (GSTV), the largest provider of TV at the pump in more than 425 U.S. cities, including all top 12 media markets. GSTV engages customers with exclusive news and entertainment content from CBS, sports from ESPN, local weather from AccuWeather and marketing messages that can be tailored to the station and time of day.  Reports for Gas Station TV are now available for April, May and June.

-- The Hotel Networks is extending its Nielsen partnership and is now providing sponsored VOD content and advertising in more than 1 million hotel rooms. It currently delivers ten premium cable channels (as a package) to upscale and luxury hotel rooms across the U.S. and sells both the national and local advertising availabilities on each network.

-- Arena Media Network, a national sports and entertainment media company, that provides live programming and advertising on hundreds of strategically placed, high-definition digital displays in arenas and stadiums throughout the United States.

-- Buzztime offers interactive entertainment distributed in approximately 3,700 restaurants, sports bars and pubs throughout North America.

-- OnSpot, a digital high-definition network with more than1200+ television screens in Simon Malls, throughout the top 20 DMAs delivering continually refreshed program content and digital advertising where consumers watch and transact.

-- IdeaCast Airline TV which delivers both advertising and entertainment content to passengers through seatback TV screens, enabling marketers to interact directly with frequent travelers and mobile business professionals throughout the flight.

“These Network reports will utilize a hybrid methodology that will incorporate Nielsen InStore traffic estimates or real world ‘verifiable truths’ where possible,” Paul Lindstrom, senior vice president of Nielsen On Location Media, said in a statement. “This real world information such as set-top box data from hotels, health club membership swipes, gas pump transactions, ticket sales, and interactive plays will be combined with demographic data in a patent pending process that will ground the data and let us and our clients take advantage of the new digital world.”

The Nielsen On Location Media reports will be distributed to all interested Nielsen agency clients for use in planning, buying and evaluating the medium.