The service kicks off in March and will measure every ad in every issue of about 40 digital publications, whether read on tablets, e-readers or as straight digital reproductions. Title-specific data will be available from the second quarter of 2012.

Starch Digital service will provide metrics on a monthly basis, aggregated by platform. Metrics include the percentage of readers “noted” a digital ad, how well an advert was read and what actions the reader took after seeing an ad in their publication.

The launch follows nine months of research with digital magazine readers. GfK MRI president and CEO Kathi Love (pictured) said: “We all know that tablets and e-readers are changing the game for magazine publishers by adding new readers and giving existing readers a new way to consume magazine content. However, detailed metrics on how well ads in digital magazines perform with consumers have been lacking.”