PALM SPRINGS, CALIF. – Nielsen is pushing to broaden how the industry views the company, positioning itself not just as a ratings provider but as a full marketing intelligence partner, according to Peter Naylor, chief client officer at Nielsen.
Speaking in an interview with Beet.TV at the IAB Annual Leadership Meeting, Naylor said his mandate is to change how clients think about Nielsen’s role.
“My goal as the chief client officer is to help our clients see us less as a vendor and more as a growth partner,” he said. “I’m here all about growth, and it’s our partners’ growth.”
Moving beyond the ratings label
Naylor acknowledged that Nielsen’s legacy in television measurement remains central, but he said it no longer defines the company’s full scope.
“A lot of people think of Nielsen and they think television ratings, and that’s not wrong,” he said. “But to be seen as a marketing intelligence company is really trying to elevate the story.”
That broader view includes discovery, planning, optimization, and outcomes across media channels.
“We can help with the entire spectrum,” Naylor said, describing Nielsen as a potential one-stop shop for media decision-making.
Product evolution to meet modern needs
Naylor pointed to recent innovations as evidence of that shift, including the Gauge reports, which track how viewing habits are changing as streaming and ad-supported platforms expand.
“That’s an evolution of our products and services that meets modern needs for the entire ecosystem,” he said.
He also highlighted Nielsen’s move from panel-only measurement to combining panels with large-scale data sets.
“We’ve gone from just having a panel to Panel plus Big Data,” Naylor said. “Now we’ve got 75 million homes using their data as well to have a more complete picture of the ecosystem.”
Outcomes and partnerships
Another example is Nielsen’s Outcomes Marketplace, launched in August 2025, which connects advertisers with third-party partners focused on attention and creative effectiveness.
“By partnering with other leaders who are specializing in different parts of the ecosystem, we can put it all together to have a complete service,” Naylor said.
AI and the future of measurement
On artificial intelligence, Naylor said Nielsen’s scale gives it an advantage as AI becomes more embedded in measurement and activation.
“You can’t really think about AI without acknowledging that you need massive amounts of data,” he said, pointing out that Nielsen processes about 100 terabytes of data daily.
“If there’s any company that’s poised to take advantage of the activation that AI can bring, it’s Nielsen,” he added. Naylor said the company plans to “promptify everything we have” and bring AI-powered capabilities to market.
Leading with insight, not just data
Drawing on his experience as a longtime Nielsen customer at companies including NBC, Hulu, and Netflix, Naylor said the company’s value is clearest when insights take center stage.
“When we lead with insights, not just leading with data, that’s when things really are great,” he said. “I want to make the data dance for our customers.”
You’re watching Beet.TV coverage from IAB ALM 2026. For more videos from this series, please visit this page.
