Tricolor TV to introduce new audience measurement system

Leading Russian pay TV operator Tricolor TV has begun testing a new audience measurement system from its technology supplier GS Group.

The TAM people-meter, developed by GS Group ad sales unit Agency 2, has been launched in test mode, with a view to a commercial launch early next year.

According to GS Group, Agency 2 has developed a TAM system that significantly improves the accuracy of the data on the TV audience volume, TV viewers characteristics and their preferences. Resulting analytical data will be a subject to the regular international audit by independent media authorities.

GS Group said the new people-meter would enable Tricolor TV to measure viewership on smaller channels where the ‘affinity index’ is exceptionally high, allowing more targeted campaigns and enabling advertisers to reach an additional audience, as well as enabling the operator to make additional revenue from advertising on its range of HD services.

Russia’s current audience measurement system only measures audiences in cities with over 100,000 people, and a group of media organisations are currently in the process of tendering for a replacement.

Agency 2 has already deployed 1,050 devices, with about 5,000 to be installed in the course of the year.

“Advertisers need a quality toolkit that will allow them to manage investments in TV advertising effectively. Only a peoplemeter system, which best suits the current situation on the Russian market and takes into account its continuous development, can become such a tool,” said Ilya Sorokin, general director of Agency 2.