In a recent post on AdExchanger titled GRP Integration Is A Waste Of Time Joe Mandel, President of PrecisionDemand argues the merits of pushing past GRP TRP digital video buying in today’s landscape. One key point is that GRP as measurement, simply reach vs frequency, is a way of delivering campaigns without the benefit of vivid metrics relating to length of exposure, lifts in interest and ad interactivity. Agreed.  We share the following view in the comments:

Agree with Joe (referencing the earlier comment about GRP being a reliable metric). GRP metrics for a specific audience segment is highly addressable and it should be a solution for video advertisers. This buying method is a good way of looking at the world. It falls apart when the method relies on data, and I’ve seen too many instances where data is shown to be inaccurate.

So far data has been a casualty of the move to buying online video with a GRP goal. I’ve seen data sets created by an unbiased third party showing how (in)accurately data providers reach the easiest target to measure: gender. In some cases the data provider attempting to reach one gender ended up reaching the opposite gender more effectively; i.e. male target reached 57% females. In order to reach females it was more effective to target men. Measurement came from MRC accredited audience measurement firms.

In past work we’ve thrown around the idea that GRP TRP buying to data and audience segments could be a way more targeted advertising opportunity.  However, in executing campaigns across data providers there was so much obfuscation of inventory and data that it was difficult to ascertain the true value of the data. That, and the nature of changing the accepted methods of measurement for behemoth companies like a major pet retailer would be too intensive for an outcome that could not be guaranteed.  With the right caveats these types of buys should be tested, but they are not, off the bat, going to be runaway wins. If, as was the case with my former client, when ongoing market sales are strong, changing the working formula ends up fixing what isn’t broken.

The life and times of an advertising executive includes knowing when good enough is fantastic, and when good enough is on the verge of failure!  For the GRP / TRP digital video buying model not every advertiser is primed to take steps into more robust metrics beyond reach and frequency.