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Google to Compete with Nielsen?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the google-speculation dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Jason Lee Miller thinks that Nielsen Media Research's ambitious new plan for measuring all types of video audiences could put it into competition with everyone's favorite company: Google. From the article: 'The Mountain View's next potential rival: Nielsen Media Research, the audience measurement company that has held a virtual monopoly in the sector for decades. And it shouldn't be surprising. Google's MO is information collection and research.'"

4 of 97 comments (clear)

  1. stupid people = stupid shows by Bluude · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Yeah, but even in a society where everyone gets a vote, you are still going to have around 20% that like reality shows, 15% that enjoy game shows, 20% that like daytime talkshows, 20% that like medical drama, and 20% that enjoy cop drama. So even in pefect world where everyone is counted, we will still have a lot of crap on tv because there are a lot of stupid people in the world that find comfort in watching the same old crap they have always watched.

    Heck sometimes I think those people are threatened when a new show like firefly comes on. they just don't know how to classify it so they don't bother watching it.

  2. Google builds geographical barriers on Internet by Elixon · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm sure that audience is coming to Video.Google.com, but is google coming to the audience?

    This is what google served me instead of the clips in "Music Videos" menu:

    "We're sorry, but the provider of this video has not authorized Google to display this video in your location.
    To see more videos visit our home page."

    Does it matter that I'm from EU?

    --
    Well, I've got to get back to work. When I stop rowing, the slave ship just goes in circles.
  3. Already happening by apnielsen · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Nielsen's been working on total measurement for years. Arbitron and VNU (current holders of Nielsen Media research) got together to build Project Apollo. However, because of the trouble Arbitron is having getting its Portable People Meter accredited, Apollo's deploying Nielsen's A/P Meter instead, which I've commented on before.

    I work at Nielsen Media at the GTIC facility in Oldsmar FL and I've been hearing about Apollo for many years, but it seems that the rest of the world has only heard about it recently. Project Apollo has been described (internally) as the "holy grail" of measurement, which follows a consumer across every media channel and measures the affect on purchasing habits.

    What it looks like Google is doing is a subset of Project Apollo, and even if it could compete on the TV/video side they probably need to license the tech from Nielsen. I'd love to have Google as an ally, but as a competitor I think they'll find Nielsen pretty hard to dislodge.

  4. Re:Sounds more like by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I doubt Google is going to be conducting research surveys or distributing their own rating monitoring boxes.

    Actually, they already have: http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/06/10/132922 7

    With a simple application, they can turn your laptop (pre-deployed) into a ratings monitor.