MTV Networks Measures with Quantcast
MTV implements alternative measurement service across its online properties and ad networks.
In a step away from panel-based measurement to one that measures based on site activity, MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, selected Quantcast to measure traffic on its online properties. Metrics will aid marketers, advertisers, and agency media buyers to make more informed decisions on ad inventory and site visitors.
MTV will deploy Quantcast across all of its online properties, including MTV.com, VH1.com, Nick.com, and ComedyCentral.com. It will also use Quantcast for its ad networks, called Tribes.
“It extends across not only their operating sites, but across their distribution network,” said Todd Teresi, chief revenue officer at Quantcast. “It provides a common language for the MTV sales force to discuss with advertisers and marketers.”
Tribes, what Teresi refers to as MTV’s distribution network, was started in the fall with ParentsConnect and a string of lifestyle sites including the Ticketmaster site echo. MTV reports the parenting tribe receives 4.5 million monthly unique visitors and 50 million page views per month, according to comScore.
“We attract highly engaged users across our online portfolio, so it’s imperative that we have a highly credible, third-party research partner to help us demonstrate our value to advertisers,” said Nada Stirratt, EVP digital ad sales at MTV, in a statement. “We’re in the business of showcasing value, not just selling impressions and Quantcast helps us directly quantify our audiences for marketers who demand real accountability online.”
With a pixel and a cookie, Quantcast is able to provide publishers, and therefore advertisers, with the number of unique visitors, cookied visitors, and page views on a particular site. In addition, the service provides aggregate user data so advertisers can see what site visitors look like.
“We deliver affinities of people that went to this particular page,” said Teresi.
Quantcast has experienced growth in the past year. Last December its customer base consisted of about 20,000 publishers, and today its Quantified Publisher Program counts approximately 80,000 publishers. Among those publisher sites, NBC, CBS, and Fox use Quantcast.
“Traditional measurement services have not been able to keep pace and properly track the measurement on the Internet,” Teresi said. “Smaller sites have not been segmented by panels.” Note: The story originally reported MTV’s parenting tribe receives 2.447 million monthly unique visitors and 24 million page views per month, MTV updated the figures with new data from comScore.
