TouchPoints Integrated Planning Database is launched
05/10/2006
Today (5th October 2006) the IPA demonstrated the second phase of its much awaited TouchPoints initiative, the Integrated Planning Database, to journalists, agency planners and the media industry as a whole. The second database follows the consumer-centric hub survey, published in March this year, and features a ground-breaking integrated planning system that is able to create a single source measurement of ‘likely’ contact across all media. From today, it is available to subscribers through the industry planning software bureaux, IMS, KMR and Telmar.
The database works by integrating the established media industry currencies onto the TouchPoints Hub Survey to create a link across all the media channels. For the ‘newer’ media channels which do not have an established currency (eg internet, SMS and direct mail), it simulates usage.
The Integrated Planning Database therefore represents a new planning standard which allows all media channels to be considered early in the planning process and provides insights into how communication channels are used, singly, together and on a time basis for particular target audiences.
So for the first time, users will be able to create multi-media scenarios against a wide range of defined communications objectives and audiences, with combined coverage and frequency as key communication outputs. It is expected to inform budget setting, channel and media selection against specific planning audiences.
Said IPA Research Director Lynne Robinson: “This has been a huge technical challenge, but with the completion of this crucial second phase, TouchPoints has delivered to communication planners a common language, a consumer view of multi-media behaviour and an effective planning tool that can be used in all stages of the planning process.”
The purpose of TouchPoints is not to replace the currencies within each medium, but to put them in context with other media.
It is designed to be a flexible enough to link into other databases. For example, the link into TGI will be available shortly to joint TGI/TouchPoints subscribers to connect the TGI brand and product consumption data to TouchPoints respondents. The IPA also expects users to integrate proprietary databases from other sources whether they be customer databases; other bespoke research or client knowledge.
Said IPA President David Pattison: “This is a world as well as an IPA first. It is an agency led initiative which is seeking not only to address the multi-media landscape, but to raise the bar on the professionalism of the media industry.”
The TouchPoints Founding Partners are:
Agencies:
Initiative
MediaCom
Mediaedge:cia
MPG
MindShare
OMD UK
PHD
Starcom
Universal McCann
Vizeum
ZenithOptimedia
Media Owners:
AOL
BBC
Chrysalis Radio
The Guardian
ITV
JCDecaux
News International Ltd
Orange
SMG Access
Tesco Media Services
end
Note to editors:
The IPA is the industry body and professional institute for UK advertising, media and marketing communications agencies. It was established in 1917 as a servicing body and to negotiate on behalf of its members with media bodies, government departments and unions. Its 258 corporate members represent the major part of the advertising agency business, handling advertising with an estimated value of some £13,000 million per year (over 80 per cent of advertising placed by agencies) on behalf of their client companies and organisations nationwide. (note this figure is based on 2005 Advertising Statistics Yearbook figures and excludes classified and television production costs).
IPA TouchPoints is an agency-led initiative designed to provide major insights into behaviour in the increasingly complex communications world.
The TouchPoints Hub Survey was conducted for the IPA by TNS-global Ltd.
The integration of the UK industry currency data on to the TouchPoints Hub Survey was undertaken by RSMB Ltd.
For further information:
Lynne Robinson, IPA Research Director tel: 020 7201 8200
Mark Cross, Commercial Director, MC2 mob: 07887 982635
Richard Lambert, IPA PR Assistant tel: 020 7201 8261