Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology has revolutionized the practice of TV measurement. Unlike the panel surveys of linear measurement systems, ACR data measures what’s actually happening on the screen. That’s why VIZIO’s Inscape ACR data has become the go-to source for TV viewership industry-wide. 

For ACR to fulfill its promise as a foundational dataset for TV measurement, it needs to answer questions such as: 

• Did the commercial air? 
  
• Can we validate it was on the screen?
  
• Where did it air, linear vs streaming?

However, when it comes to currency-grade measurement, additional questions such as - was the commercial properly counted? Who saw the ad? Or was it seen by one or more individuals? - become crucial to address.  

Answering these questions requires data that has scale, consistency, granularity and representation of all audiences. These are the four pillars of a truly robust audience measurement framework, and serve as the foundation of everything we do here at Inscape. 

With that as our North Star, Inscape has begun taking steps to build an enhanced  measurement framework — an ongoing dataset evolution featuring a comprehensive suite of advanced technologies that include advancing our commercial dataset, panel calibration, and co-viewing assignment. 

Each is designed to support the four pillars of measurement noted above in different ways. Here’s how. 

The first phase of our data enhancements currently available includes:

Advancing the Commercial Dataset

We began by releasing Inscape’s Commercial Feed + to streamline data processing, making it easier for clients to improve measurement capabilities, create efficiencies, and generate results faster. 

This new feed allows clients to take advantage of:

• Deduplication of commercial detections at the creative level, eliminating the potential for over or undercounting similar commercial spots. Ad deduplication allows for more accurate measurement, increasing the effectiveness of ad spend by removing 100% of commercial overlap.
  
• Increased ad detection from combined ACR data across video and audio for complete and comprehensive reporting.
• Expansion of commercial index by integrating directly with ad servers.

In the months ahead, look for announcements around the next phase of enhancements, which include: 

Panel Calibrations

Currency-grade measurement requires complete representation of all audiences.

Inscape is addressing demographic and geographical variances within the Inscape TV panel by developing a proprietary TV audience weighting solution called the National Representative Panel (NRP), to ensure accurate representation of national audiences.

The NRP will enhance TV measurement by:

• Creating a nationally balanced dataset to inform planning and measurement strategies.

Co-Viewing

TV is not a solo activity. We often watch TV with other individuals with similar or different demographic attributes. For TV measurement to be accurate and complete, it must account for all audiences in front of the glass. That’s where co-viewing metrics come into play, so advertisers and networks get a more representative picture of the audience they’re reaching. 

Overall, these enhancements to our data represent Inscape’s ongoing commitment to evolve TV solutions and bring a comprehensive framework for measurement to the market. Inscape’s ACR technology delivers unparalleled TV viewership data that goes beyond the glass, providing the most granular and comprehensive view of audiences.