• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, May 2, 2023

At a time when the ad industry is preparing to grapple with an explosion of multiple new panel and/or Big Data-sourced audience-measurement services, Samsung this morning unveiled the rollout of a new 5,000 household opt-in panel of Samsung device owners, but says the research is not intended to be used as "currency," just to help advertisers and agencies navigate the complexities of converging linear TV and streaming audiences.

"As audiences shift to streaming, the challenges for an advertiser get more complicated," Samsung Ads Global Head of Analytics & Insights Justin Evans noted, while unveiling the new panel, dubbed "TK," during its newfront presentation in New York City this morning, adding, "'How do my linear buys overlap with my streaming buys?,' 'What audience am I not reaching, or not reaching enough?,' and most importantly, 'How can I activate to get the best result for my brand?'."

Evans went on to unveil "two significant investments" Samsung is making in data, including an expansion of its own ability to measure the viewership of streaming ads on is own TV Plus free, ad-supported service.

"Secondly, to add to our substantial deterministic data, I'm thrilled to announce the launch of a proprietary panel drawn from opted-in Samsung TV owners that we're calling the 'TV & You Community'," Evans explained, adding that the panel will provide person-level viewing insights across linear, streaming content and ads with "a single source, with co-viewing, with demographics.

"This will allow advertisers to place linear and streaming on the same playing field to understand how their linear and streaming campaigns are duplicating and to take action."

Importantly, Evans went on to disclose that "Insights from these tools will not be used to broker deals between buyer and seller. We are not competing in the currency space.

At this point you could hear the audible sound of the newfront audience chattering.

Evans went on to Samsung Ads has already begun working with IPG Mediabrands and four pilot advertisers -- including a major automotive brand, a wireless provider, a QSR brand and a healthcare brands -- as part of the beta for the new panel, and that it will officially rollout "this quarter" and will expand to reach 5,000 opted-in households by the first quarter of 2024.