I-Com forum seeks consensus on audience measurement

I.COM is an industry-backed international forum chiefly concerned with establishing consensus on best practice in the advertising industry. It hosts the Global Summit on Online Measurement next schedued for next year in Rome.

The massive growth of online adspend in the region, predicted by the Asian Digital Marketing Association to increase by 12 per cent per year through to 2015, has seen the question of metrics become increasingly important. With marketing experience in 22 countries across three continents, Tripathi, a former Mindshare, McCann, Leo Burnett and Dentsu employee, brings a wealth of knowledge to the role. “He is well-known as a trend-setter in digital measurement in Asia Pacific,” says I-COM Chairman Andreas Cohen. “His deep understanding of the industry and region makes him the perfect candidate to drive forward our efforts.”

Cohen highlighted both the sizeable potential for digital media spending and the challenges that advertisers face in terms of measuring the success of these campaigns. He said that the sector was full of promise but required accurate, standardised audience measurement across markets in order to be utilised to full effect. I-COM’s objectives are aligned with this vision. “As a first step, we will create national and regional boards to drive consensus through a series of roundtable events in the region,” Cohen said.

Tripathi is anticipating a lot of work in Asia-Pacific before the next Summit. Most significant among the challenges he faces is working with the region’s diverse markets, all at markedly different stages of development. “I-COM can help these disparate markets realise that there are more similarities than differences," he says. “Similarities can be used to create common ground around online measurement standards.”