SANTA MONICA – Who’s behind the glass?

For anyone trying to measure viewing of contemporary streaming TV platforms, that is a strategic question.

For Ameneh Atai, it is also one she asks herself at times when business challenge demands personal authenticity.

Platform difference

In this video interview with Beet.TV, Atai, GM, digital audience measurement, Nielsen, says connected TV streaming consumption is fundamentally different from digital.

“It’s actually a little bit more similar to linear television in the sense that, at a given time, you can have five people within the household watching a programme together,” she says.

“There is this element that we call ‘co-viewing’ that’s very, very specific to streaming. That is not the case for the traditional digital channels.”

Data plus panel

To measure that co-viewing, to understand who is really behind the glass, Nielsen is building out its cross-screen measurement infrastructure.

Atai says the emerging mix is about both data and traditional-style panels

“It is billions of deterministic data points that define that big data,” she says. “But that big data needs to be calibrated by panel because you need that personal-level adjustment to understand who is in that household and whom within that household is watching that given programme or that advertisement.”

Competition Will Make Us Stronger: Nielsen’s Atai

Add values

But companies don’t only have to measure their audience – they also have to measure themselves, against the way societal causes demand they should act in the world.

Atai says external-facing platitudes are not enough – leaders also have to live their values internally, especially in a world where Gen-Z employees care so deeply.

For Nielsen, those values are “inclusion, courage and growth”.

Speak your truth

Atai says she recently bit the bullet to live those values out internally.

“I have an Iranian background, and with everything that’s happening with the women’s protest in Iran, I felt that it was right,” she explains

“I had added a slide at the end of the town hall (meeting) to talk about it. But, because this is so personal to me, and I speak at conferences all the time, I’m not afraid of being in front of public.

“But this was so close to my heart that, as the town hall went on, I kept hoping that maybe we run out of time and I don’t have to represent this slide because I almost wanted to throw up. I was that nervous.

“But I had to live my value. I had to live our value of courage. So I did it.

“It wasn’t comfortable, but that’s part of essentially being a leader, being able to have those uncomfortable moments, and just making sure that you set an example for your brand, for your company, and for your team.”

You are watching coverage of Beet Retreat Santa Monica 2022, presented by Ampersand, MiQ, Nielsen, PubMatic, T-Mobile Advertising Solutions and The Trade Desk. For more videos from the Beet Retreat, please visit this page. 

By Robert Andrews on @robertandrews