"Tensions are running high as the Internet becomes the center of all marketing."—Randall Rothenberg, president and CEO of IAB

This has been coming for a while. According to Media Post, despite the fact that the International Advertising Bureau has supported both comScore Inc. and Nielsen, they sent an open letter requested an audit of measurement processes.

Now, personally, I don’t think it’s a good idea to lean on any reporting tool as the bible for measuring media of any kind. Both of these company measure on samples; which are good for trending, but not if you’re really looking for specifics. Don’t believe me? Watch any smart media planner’s eyes glaze over when a newspaper ad rep starts talking about “readership” and “pass-along rate.”

Online media is no different. If you’re relying on one of these companies to dictate what your media buy should be without really evaluating the Web site, you should reevaluate your career. Regardless, IAB claims that its 332 members account for 86 percent of the nation's interactive advertising spend. So it’s obvious that IAB’s opinion weighs heavily.

However, it is in comScore’s and Nielson’s best interest to agree to these audits immediately, and then complete them in a timely fashion. Both the IAB and Media Rating Council have been requesting an audit since 1999. So at this point, it becomes an issue related to the measurement firms’ transparency and honesty.

I’m sure there’s a significant expense to be recognized with this type of undertaking, but validating their data is worth the price.

*4/23 Update:

http://www.nielsennetratings.com/pr/pr_070423_2.pdf

http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=1400