14 DAY TRIAL // Nielsen//NetRatings and comScore, two top Internet metrics companies have agreed to have their respective web analysis methodologies audited by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, an advertising group representing an excess of 330 online advertisers. If you are familiar with the Nielsen//NetRatings and comScore, that is because both companies regularly author Search Engine Rankings, dealing with the market share of Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and other search engines.
Both Nielsen//NetRatings and comScore have received in mid April letters signed by Randall Rothenberg, president and CEO of the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), inviting them to open the doors for audits concerning their Internet audience measurement. Although the IAB has complained that the duo persistently refused to comply with the audit requests, Rothenberg's invitation was accepted as of April 23, 2007.
"NetRatings (...) welcomes the opportunity to work with you in your new role as President and CEO of the IAB. NetRatings shares the IAB's enthusiasm for building accountability across the digital media marketplace, and we look forward to meeting with you - and our fellow members - to discuss the opportunities and challenges relating to Internet audience measurement. Our interests are aligned, and we are committed to working together to define and implement research methods and services that will support the ongoing growth of the medium," stated NetRatings in a letter responding to the initial request.
"comScore welcomes the objective outlined in the IAB Open Letter of achieving transparency in panel methods for measuring the size of online audiences. comScore has already had positive and productive discussions with the IAB to initiate a thoughtful and cooperative process for achieving greater transparency and understanding the root cause of the difference between Web site server logs and panel-based measurements. We look forward to demonstrating the quality of the comScore panel methodology to the IAB," reads an excerpt of comScore's answer.
All that remains to bee seen from now on is if the IAB will find the Internet measuring methodologies closely reflecting reality. The audit was demanded in part because of contradictory reports involving the conclusions presented by both Nielsen//NetRatings and comScore with IAB's own market metrics.