Methods and apparatus to determine an adjustment factor for media impressions

• US 9,118,542 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Srivastava, Seema Varma, Oliver, James R., Donato, Paul, Mazumdar, Mainak, Aurisset, Juliette, Rao, Kumar Nagaraja, Perez, Albert R., Gaunt, Josh, Peng, Yutao
• Primary Examiner(s): BAROT, BHARAT
• Application Number:
  US13/756,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20130145022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-224, 709227-228, 709245-246, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Examples to determine media impressions are disclosed. An example method includes detecting a cookie identifier established by a database proprietor at a computing device, determining an impression of media, wherein the impression occurs after the cookie identifier is established, determining a first panelist identifier associated with the impression based on the cookie identifier, determining a second panelist identifier associated with the impression based on determination of a user identity by a panelist meter associated with the computing device, and storing an adjustment factor determined by comparing the first panelist identifier and the second panelist identifier.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining an exposure of media for use by an audience measurement entity, wherein the exposure occurs after a cookie identifier is received at a computing device, wherein the cookie identifier is received from a database proprietor;

determining, via a processor, a first panel member identifier associated with the exposure based on the cookie identifier;

determining, via the processor, a second panel member identifier associated with the exposure based on a determination of a user identity by a panelist meter associated with the computing device; and

determining, via the processor, an adjustment factor for use by the audience measurement entity by comparing the first panel member identifier and the second panel member identifier.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second panel member identifier is different than the first panel member identifier.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining the adjustment factor by comparing the first panel member identifier and the second panel member identifier comprises:

incrementing a first count of exposures for a first demographic group associated with the first panel member identifier;

incrementing a second count of exposures for a second demographic group associated with the second panel member identifier, wherein the first demographic group and the second demographic group are the same; and

dividing the first count by the second count to determine the adjustment factor.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein the second count is incremented based on exposures associated with a plurality of panelist meters including the panelist meter.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the exposure occurs before detecting a second cookie identifier established by the database proprietor.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining the first panel member identifier comprises:

determining a plurality of computing sessions;

determining a first estimated panel member identifier associated with a first subset of the computing sessions;

determining a third panel member identifier associated with a second subset of the computing sessions; and

determining that the cookie identifier is associated with the first panel member identifier because the cookie identifier is established during the first subset of the computing sessions more frequently than during the cookie identifier is established during the second subset of the computing sessions.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein determining the first panel member identifier further comprises:

determining a start of an estimated computing session based on a time at which the cookie identifier is established; and

determining an end of an estimated computing session based on a time at which a second cookie identifier is established.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining the exposure of the media comprises detecting that the media was received at the computing device.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising applying the adjustment factor to monitoring data received from the database proprietor.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising determining adjustment factors for each of a plurality of demographic groups.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a number of exposures associated with a demographic group from the database proprietor; and

multiplying the adjustment factor by the number of exposures to determine an adjusted number of exposures.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first content provider and a second content provider associated with a campaign, wherein the adjustment factor is a first adjustment factor associated with the first content provider;

determining a second adjustment factor;

multiplying the adjustment factor by a first number of exposures determined for the first content provider to determine a first adjusted number of exposures;

multiplying the second adjustment factor by a second number of exposures determined for the second content provider to determine a second adjusted number of exposures; and

adding the first adjusted number of exposures and the second adjusted number of exposures to determine an adjusted number of exposures for the campaign.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, further comprising determining a proportion of campaign exposures associated with the first content provider, wherein the adjusted number of exposures for the campaign is determined based on the proportion of campaign exposures associated with the first content provider.

14. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the adjustment factor is indicative of a difference between a number of exposures calculated using a plurality of panelist meters and a number of exposures calculated by the database proprietor.

44. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein the incrementing of the first count of exposures for the first demographic group associated with the first panel member identifier is performed by the database proprietor and the incrementing of the second count of exposures for the second demographic group associated with the second panel member identifier is performed by the audience measurement entity.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a cookie to panelist matcher to determine a first panel member identifier associated with a cookie identifier received at a computing device, wherein the cookie identifier is received from a database proprietor;

a partner sessions pageview analyzer to determine that a media exposure is associated with the first panel member identifier based on the cookie identifier;

a panelist sessions pageview analyzer to determine that the media exposure is associated with a second panel member identifier based on a determination of a user identity; and

an adjustment factor generator to compare the first panel member identifier and the second panel member identifier to determine an adjustment factor for use by an audience measurement entity.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, further comprising a panelist meter associated with the computing device to determine the user identity.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the second panel member identifier is different than the first panel member identifier.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, further comprising:

the partner sessions pageview analyzer to increment a first count of exposures for a first demographic group associated with the first panelist identifier;

the panelist sessions pageview analyzer to increment a second count of exposures for a second demographic group associated with the second panelist identifier, wherein the first demographic group and the second demographic group are the same; and

wherein the adjustment factor generator is to compare the first panel member identifier and the second panel member identifier by dividing the first count by the second count to determine the adjustment factor.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein the panelist sessions pageview analyzer is to increment the second count based on exposures associated with a plurality of panelist meters including the panelist meter.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the exposure occurs before the cookie to panelist matcher detects a second cookie identifier established by the database proprietor.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the partner sessions pageview analyzer is to determine the first panel member identifier by:

determining a plurality of computing sessions;

determining a first estimated panel member identifier associated with a first subset of the computing sessions;

determining a third panel member identifier associated with a second subset of the computing sessions; and

determining that the cookie identifier is associated with the first panel member identifier because the cookie identifier is established during the first subset of the computing sessions more frequently than during the cookie identifier is established during the second subset of the computing sessions.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein the partner sessions pageview analyzer is further to determine the first panel member identifier by:

determining a start of an estimated computing session based on a time at which the cookie identifier is established; and

determining an end of an estimated computing session based on a time at which a second cookie identifier is established.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the cookie to panelist matcher is to determine the exposure of the media by detecting that the media was received at the computing device.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the adjustment factor generator is to apply the adjustment factor to monitoring data received from the database proprietor.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the adjustment factor generator is to determine adjustment factors for each of a plurality of demographic groups.

26. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the adjustment factor generator is to:

receive a number of exposures associated with a demographic group from the database proprietor; and

multiply the adjustment factor by the number of exposures to determine an adjusted number of exposures.

27. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the adjustment factor generator is to:

determine a first content provider and a second content provider associated with a campaign, wherein the adjustment factor is a first adjustment factor associated with the first content provider;

determine a second adjustment factor;

multiply the first adjustment factor by a first number of exposures determined for the first content provider to determine a first adjusted number of exposures;

multiply the second adjustment factor by a second number of exposures determined for the second content provider to determine a second adjusted number of exposures; and

add the first adjusted number of exposures and the second adjusted number of exposures to determine an adjusted number of exposures for the campaign.

28. An apparatus as defined in claim 27, wherein the adjustment factor generator is to determine a proportion of campaign exposures associated with the first content provider, and to determine the adjusted number of exposures for the campaign based on the proportion of campaign exposures associated with the first content provider.

29. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the adjustment factor is indicative of a difference between a number of exposures calculated using a plurality of panelist meters and a number of exposures calculated by the database proprietor.

45. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein the partner sessions pageview analyzer is associated with the database proprietor and the panelist sessions pageview analyzer is associated with the audience measurement entity.

30. A tangible computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

determine an exposure of media for use by an audience measurement entity, wherein the exposure occurs after a cookie identifier is received at a computing device, wherein the cookie identifier is received from a database proprietor;

determine a first panel member identifier associated with the exposure based on the cookie identifier;

determine a second panel member identifier associated with the exposure based on a determination of a user identity by a panelist meter associated with the computing device; and

determine an adjustment factor for use by the audience measurement entity by comparing the first panel member identifier and the second panel member identifier.

31. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 30, wherein the second panel member identifier is different than the first panel member identifier.

32. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 30, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to determine the adjustment factor by comparing the first panel member identifier and the second panel member identifier by:

incrementing a first count of exposures for a first demographic group associated with the first panel member identifier;

incrementing a second count of exposures for a second demographic group associated with the second panel member identifier, wherein the first demographic group and the second demographic group are the same; and

dividing the first count by the second count to determine the adjustment factor.

33. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 32, wherein the instructions cause the machine to increment the second count based on exposures associated with a plurality of panelist meters including the panelist meter.

34. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 30, wherein the exposure occurs before detecting a second cookie identifier established by the database proprietor.

35. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 30, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to determine the first panel member identifier by:

determining a plurality of computing sessions;

determining a first estimated panel member identifier associated with a first subset of the computing sessions;

determining a third panel member identifier associated with a second subset of the computing sessions; and

determining that the cookie identifier is associated with the first panel member identifier because the cookie identifier is established during the first subset of the computing sessions more frequently than during the second subset of the computing sessions.

36. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 35, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to determine the first panel member identifier by:

determining a start of an estimated computing session based on a time at which the cookie identifier is established; and

determining an end of an estimated computing session based on a time at which a second cookie identifier is established.

37. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 30, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to determine the exposure of the media by detecting that the media was received at the computing device.

38. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 30, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to apply the adjustment factor to monitoring data received from the database proprietor.

39. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 30, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to determine respective adjustment factors for corresponding ones of a plurality of demographic groups.

40. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 30, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

receive a number of exposures associated with a demographic group from the database proprietor; and

multiply the adjustment factor by the number of exposures to determine an adjusted number of exposures.

41. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 30, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

determine a first content provider and a second content provider associated with a campaign, wherein the adjustment factor is a first adjustment factor associated with the first content provider;

determine a second adjustment factor;

multiply the first adjustment factor by a first number of exposures determined for the first content provider to determine a first adjusted number of exposures;

multiply the second adjustment factor by a second number of exposures determined for the second content provider to determine a second adjusted number of exposures; and

add the first adjusted number of exposures and the second adjusted number of exposures to determine an adjusted number of exposures for the campaign.

42. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 41, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to determine a proportion of campaign exposures associated with the first content provider, and to determine the adjusted number of exposures for the campaign based on the proportion campaign exposures associated with the first content provider.

43. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 30, wherein the adjustment factor is indicative of a difference between a number of exposures calculated using a plurality panelist meters and a number of exposures calculated by the database proprietor.

46. A tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 32, wherein the incrementing of the first count of exposures for the first demographic group associated with the first panel member identifier is performed by the database proprietor and the incrementing of the second count of exposures for the second demographic group associated with the second panel member identifier is performed by the audience measurement entity.