JICWEBS continues to deliver increased transparency and trust for digital media

18th November 2009

Representatives from media owners, media agencies and advertisers met on Tuesday 17th November for the last JICWEBS meeting of the year. JICWEBS is the industry-owned body for digital census data measurement standards, and ensures independent development and industry ownership of the standards for census based measurement of digital media. Trade bodies present on JICWEBS include IAB, IPA, IPA Digital, ISBA, NPA, NS and AOP.

At this end of year briefing James Bromley, managing director of Mail Online, was announced as the national newspaper (NPA) representative. Bromley replaces Zach Leonard from News International.

At the meeting JICWEBS reinforced its support for the current methodology and audit approach adopted by ABCe, which delivers transparent web traffic measurement to the industry.

In order to emphasise that the JICWEBS Unique User/Browser metric is aimed at counting devices (not people), the meeting agreed that this metric name would be simplified to Unique Browser. It was recommended and agreed that this terminology should be adopted by the industry from January 2010.

JICWEBS read the comScore whitepaper on cookie deletion with interest, and has now asked the Internet Technical Group (ITG) to review it in detail. JICWEBS also expressly clarified that Daily Unique Browser data, which continues to be available on all ABCe Certificates, to all intents and purposes eliminates the relevance of cookie deletion. JICWEBS noted Nielsen Online’s ‘site census’ product is a 2-star ABCe Associate service.

ABCe’s role, as the industry-owned auditor, is to facilitate debate and independently verify compliance with the industry-agreed standards.

Richard Foan, chair, JICWEBS/managing director, ABCe comments:

“Self-regulation by the digital media industry continues to be instrumental in supporting the delivery of transparency and trust for all relevant parties, and the work of JICWEBS remains core to this cause. Never before has accountability been higher on the marketing agenda, so JICWEBS ensures these issues are managed for the industry, by the industry.”

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For information on ABCe and JICWEBS please contact:
Mark Barber / Louisa Papachristou
Eulogy!
Tel: 020 7927 9999

About ABC and ABCe

ABC is a non-profit distributing organisation owned by the media industry, tasked with promoting trust by providing robust currencies on which to trade media in the UK and Ireland. ABC certifies and provides audit services to verify the circulation figures of newspapers and magazines, attendance at exhibitions and performance data across a wide range of digital media (including websites and email) through ABCe.

ABC is governed by a Council of permanent and elected representatives including media owners, media buyers, advertisers and representatives from industry trade bodies. Any changes to Reporting Standards are instigated and agreed on by these industry representatives including ISBA, IPA, PPA, NS and NPA, to ensure the needs of the media industry are met.

ABCe was established in 1996 as the industry owned, non profit distributing organisation, which works on behalf of advertisers, media buyers and media owners to provide third party independent verification and certification for data related to electronic media (Internet, Email, SMS, Interactive TV, WAP, PDA and Streaming audio and video) in the UK and Ireland.

ABCe’s role is to manage standards for the industry through its work with JICWEBS*, and to provide credibility, comparability and transparency for electronic media. This gives advertisers the opportunity to maximise returns on marketing budgets by using ABCe certified media and ensures that stakeholders (marketers, investors, media owners, media buyers, advertisers) can invest in electronic media with confidence and trust.

ABCe serves the online media communities in the UK and Ireland, and is leading an international network setting global standards for electronic media. ABCe delivers global measurement standards for local markets through its work as Chair of the IFABC web standards group.

JICWEBS (The Joint Industry Committee for Web Standards in the UK and Ireland) is a body created by the UK and Ireland media industry. Its purpose is to ensure independent development and ownership of standards for measuring on a site centric, census basis audience reach, frequency and activity levels including the use and effectiveness of advertising on electronic media. ABCe supports the work of JICWEBS by delivering audit and certification services for electronic media usage to these industry agreed standards.

For more information contact info@jicwebs.org .

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