NBCU Certified Measurement Partner Program
Why Measurement Certification
NBCU’s Certified Measurement Partner Program has a simple mission: measure what matters with the best partners in the business. This means partnering with trusted, privacy-minded measurement providers whose solutions go beyond panel-based, program-level ratings and duplicative platform-by-platform delivery to unified, holistic, deduplicated cross-platform campaign performance and outcome-based measurement against the KPIs that mean the most to our marketers’ business.
With this simple but ambitious mission, you can be confident that the partners we certify are rigorously evaluated to ensure they deliver best-in-class measurement with demonstrated focus on accuracy, reliability, transparency, and more.
Our Measurement Framework
The cross-platform campaign measurement landscape is complex and continually evolving. To make sense of this shifting, fragmented landscape and to offer the industry a set of organizing principles, we’ve aligned our measurement framework around seven key categories.
As the industry continues to evolve, we’ll evolve with it and so will this framework, so be sure to check back for updates annually.
Audience Measurement
Campaign delivery measurement against an audience; metrics include impressions, reach, and frequency
Included in our evaluation criteria:
- Projection methodology
- Spot-level verification
- Connected TV coverage
- Co-viewing methodology
- Readiness for data interoperability
Audience Verification
Measurement of quality of impressions: verification metrics include viewability, invalid traffic, completion rate, audible rate, brand safety
Included in our evaluation criteria:
- Data sources
- Strength of technology stack
- Array of verification metrics (viewability, IVT, delivery, etc.)
- Verification methodology
- Connected TV coverage
- Data interoperability approach
Brand Measurement
Measurement that quantifies the extent to which individual media campaigns influence incremental brand lift across metrics like brand awareness, favorability, and purchase intent
Included in our evaluation criteria:
- Data quality such as strength of the survey solution and exposure inputs
- Solution readiness such as analytics, deliverables, and market presence
Incrementality Measurement/Sales Impact
Outcome-based measurement (direct attribution) of incremental lower-funnel sales or mid-funnel outcomes related to sales; metrics include purchase conversion, return on ad spend/ROI, website visits, app downloads, search engagement, and retail location visits
Included in our evaluation criteria:
- Identity solution for data matching
- Data interoperability approach
- Business outcome data coverage
- Strength of the technology stack
- Cross-platform measurement capability
- Incrementality measurement methodology
- Reporting capability
Multi-Touch Attribution
Measurement that models the efficiency and ROI of advertising by assigning fractional credit to each touchpoint in a consumer’s journey
Included in our evaluation criteria:
- Identity solution for data matching
- Data interoperability approach
- Business outcome data coverage
- Strength of the technology stack
- Cross-platform measurement capability
- MTA measurement methodology
- Reporting capability
Business Outcome Guarantee
Currency framework that guarantees delivery against business outcomes rather than campaign delivery; guarantees include a range of behavioral mid-to-lower funnel KPIs such as sales, ROAS, website visits, app downloads, search engagement, and retail location visits
Certification timing TBD
Emotion
Measurement that proves the link between emotion metrics and in-market outcome metrics to reenforce creative contribution to ad impact, ultimately illustrating how advertising builds emotional connections with consumers, inspiring brand affinity and influencing product purchase
Certification timing TBD
Measurement Framework Resources
To see this framework in action, download our framework chart, with a comprehensive view of measurement providers across the industry who fall into each category.
For a high-level look at our evaluation of national cross-platform ad currency certification, download our Currency Contender Snapshot.
For more information on how we’re evaluating partners for national cross-platform ad currency certification, download our Measurement Framework Look Book.
Becoming a Certified Partner
The NBCU Certified Measurement Partner badge indicates to advertisers, agencies, and the industry at large that you are a trusted NBCUniversal partner whose solutions have been rigorously evaluated and certified to deliver best-in-class measurement to our marketers.
Applications for certification are running on an annual cycle. The next application date will be announced at the end of June 2023, and we expect to evaluate and certify new partners within the next year.