CIMM said in a report on the subject, called The case for an action plan, that such a watermark would also support the deployment of standardised activation triggers and protect creative identity.

Specifically, the report suggests that widespread adoption using existing standards and creative identifiers could help to deliver consistent, robust full-spectrum measurement of content and advertising across TV and streaming platforms, as well as standardised activation tools.

CIMM said that to facilitate this, the next step would be to establish a stewardship group to define the overall vision, guide technical design, align stakeholders and oversee implementation of a proof of concept. 

The recommendation is to initially focus on advertising measurement, with future phases addressing activation and content measurement.

Key aspects of the infrastructure would include developing a shared system of identifiers, registries, repositories, file formats and privacy-compliant data transfer protocols.

The recommendations are based on a collaborative study based on interviews, discussions and technical reviews with more than 20 executives from brands, agencies and publishers. 

Jon Watts, managing director at CIMM, said: “Although measurement solutions are improving steadily, our industry still faces a stark challenge to provide comprehensive, advertising measurement with unduplicated reach and frequency in a multi-platform world.

“Driven by continued innovation across areas like AI, advertising content and formats will continue to proliferate. And while inconsistent and fragmented measurement approaches remain, we can expect significant measurement barriers across platforms including linear, streaming and the walled gardens – unless the industry can align and collaborate on a universal solution.”