comScore will officially roll out the Canadian version of Media Metrix Multi-Platform by August 2014 and, along with it, Mobile Metrix.

Currently in Canada, the only mobile-specific analytics offering from comScore is MobiLens, which provides a view of the mobile media landscape, combining data on mobile consumer demographics and behavior with device capabilities. Mobile Metrix will expand this reporting to include audience and usage statistics across apps and mobile websites.

Media Metrix Multi-Platform will connect data from the forthcoming Mobile Metrix with the existing Video Metrix and Media Metrix in order to provide much-needed multi-platform analytics. This platform will facilitate a comprehensive view of digital consumer behavior across desktop and laptop computers, smartphones and tablets and includes data for both banner_based and video-based media. Reporting metrics include audience size (unduplicated and duplicated), engagement (duration, visits, pages views, app starts), videos (computer and mobile), demographic composition as well as performance within key user segments and behavioral trends.

These elements can all be compared across devices and can be leveraged for insights into incremental activity generated by each platform.

Due to the inconsistent and unreliable nature of cookie tracking on mobile devices, audience measurement across platforms has long been challenging, if not impossible. comScore developed an alternative through Unified Digital Measurement, which combines three data sources: person-centric panels, tags on mobile apps and sites, and a dynamic panel. The latter is dynamically comprised of single person households and digital media consumption is measured via a static IP address, which indicates a shared wireless network across devices in the same household. This dynamic panel is composed of approximately 200,000 Canadians, which translates into 200,000 smartphones, 200,000 laptop or desktop computers, 65,000 tablets and 29,000 other devices (smart TVs or gaming consoles_.

Although this multi-platform measurement product from comScore represents a breakthrough in tracking usage across devices, the Media Metrix Multi Platform could benefit from continued improvement and development. As technology evolves, there are several issues that must be addressed in order to realize true, accurate multi-platform analytics:

• The dynamic panel is ultimately not fully representative of the general population:
o Certain groups—for example, moms and students—are necessarily excluded from the single person household requirement.
o Children aged 2-17 are not included, as mobile audiences (and therefore dynamic panel members) are not measured under the age of 18 due to required parental permissions.

• Not all devices can be broken out in reporting:
o The 29,000 “other” devices tracked cannot be broken out between smart TVs and gaming consoles.
o Although smartphones and tablets can be reported on separately in Mobile Metrix, Media Metrix Multi-Platform is unable to make a distinction between the two.

• Despite the breakthrough in measuring across digital media platforms, we are still a long ways away from true cross-platform analytics, measuring not only digital media but traditional formats like broadcast and out of home.

For more information, you can download comScore’s white paper “Marketing to the Multi-Platform Majority” here.

What are YOUR thoughts on this new measurement platform?