UK— The search for a supplier to build and run an online audience measurement panel to form the basis of the UK’s first industry-agreed online planning currency kicked off today.

Jicims – the Joint Industry Committee for Internet Measurement Systems – is inviting media research agencies to submit their ideas for tracking and reporting on the web habits of panels of people.

As previously reported here, the request for proposals calls for a user-centric approach that produces audience size and profile data for “a significant number of online media”, as well as the means to estimate audiences across a number of sites.

Bob Wootton, director of media and advertising at the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers – one of four Jicims shareholders – said: “[These] outputs will finally enable the many brand advertisers who have yet to invest significantly in online to consider the medium on equal terms with the other, more established media channels.”

Jicims expects to receive all proposals by mid-May with a view to awarding a contract, after a formal invitation to tender, by the end of the year. Interested agencies should contact Jicims general manager Peter Bowman on peter.bowman@jicims.org.uk.

An establishment survey defining the characteristics of the UK internet population has been running off the back of the National Readership Survey since mid-2006. This collaboration is expected to continue “indefinitely”, said Jicims.

Author: Brian Tarran

Related links:

Bowman aims high, will lead UK web currency initiative

‘Definitive’ data on UK online population enters review stage