NCS and Nielsen Audio link radio ads to retail sales

The Portable People Meter (PPM) from Nielsen Audio detects inaudible watermarks embedded in the audio portion of a broadcast programme or advert. The PPM tracks what station was heard at what time, and listener information for specific adverts is then linked to frequent shopper data in order to determine how ads have influenced sales.

The approach was piloted by Clear Channel Media and Entertainment in 2013 – one of the 10 brands providing the foundation of a normative database for radio effectiveness.

“The advertising industry has longed for a much more comprehensive understanding of the effectiveness of audio advertising,” said Leslie Wood, chief research officer, Nielsen Catalina Solutions.

“Our single-source measurement solution will help advertisers better understand where their ad spend will have the most sales impact and can best be used for future campaigns.”

• Nielsen, which alongside Catalina is behind Nielsen Catalina Solutions, has also announced that its indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries Nielsen Finance LLC and Nielsen Finance Co are proposing a $750m debt offering. Full details here.