The initiative includes measurement of diverse-owned media historically excluded from investment, funding certification fees of diverse-owned media, as well as the launch of the first ever report on diverse-owned media reach and audience profiles.

In collaboration with P&G, Nielsen is funding a $130,000 reimbursement programme with the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) to help cover the certification fees for diverse-owned media suppliers who qualify. The fund, which will be administered by the NMSDC, will aim to provide around 200 diverse publishers with the benefits of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification, frequently required by large companies to qualify for diverse investment.

As part of the new initiative, Nielsen has released the diverse-owned media audience reach and profiles report. The study highlights the power of viewership and listenership to diverse-owned media, spotlighting the influence in smaller local markets where Black-owned television stations reach as much as 41% of all adults and Black-owned radio more than 1.2 million people over the age of 12.

“Nielsen is investing in diverse-owned media by getting rid of historical barriers in traditional measurement”, commented chief executive David Kenny. “Advertisers and the media industry recognise the need to be more inclusive and want to ensure they reach an audience that is increasingly diverse. We are leading the charge to develop a consistent framework and metrics to help demonstrate the value of diverse-owned media.”

The report findings are powered by Media Framework’s Maven Diversity, described as “the most comprehensive and accurate database for diverse media ownership discovery and vendor management”, developed and refined over a period of more than 10 years.