• by January 12, 2001

How soon will the dating game between the Internet and Television turn into a marriage? And what kind of a marriage will it be? Media strategists are eager to take advantage of the possibilities, but with billions of advertising dollars at stake, they need reliable data tracking, specifically data on how consumers are adapting to interactive media.

To that end, Nielsen Media Research and NetRatings Inc. have launched the first "Convergence Lab" in the U.S., an ongoing consumer research laboratory to electronically measure television viewing and Internet activity as they occur in the same sample households. The first data from the panel will be reported to customers in March.

"Convergence between the TV and the PC is expected to become more prevalent," said David H. Harkness, SVP in charge of planning and development for Nielsen Media Research, "and consumers may rapidly navigate from one medium to another on the same delivery platform. As digital interactive and convergent platforms advance, gaining a thorough understanding of how consumers use these media for information, entertainment, shopping, and many other options will become even more important to the industry. Our customers will need the right information - quickly - to develop effective content and advertising delivery plans."

Procter & Gamble, TN Media, Starcom and The Weather Channel are among the first customers for the new service. To date, more than 190 households, representing approximately 500 persons with access to the Internet, have been recruited into the research sample, and Nielsen Media Research expects to reach 200 sample homes by February, and 250 households later this year.

Television sets in the research lab are equipped with Nielsen People Meters, the same methodology used for nationwide audience measurement by Nielsen Media Research. Internet activity - including usage, online buying, and exposure to banner advertising - is measured using software from the Nielsen//NetRatings service, the same methodology used to track Internet activity in household and workplace panels throughout the U.S.

"P&G is the first U.S. advertiser to support this cutting-edge research," said Buddy Tucker, associate director - Media, of P&G. "Information from this research panel will be vital to our ability to develop more effective cross-media campaigns. We were happy that when we started looking for this type of data, Nielsen and NetRatings had an answer. We expect this to produce some very exciting results."

David Ernst, chief knowledge officer, TN Media, said: "The Nielsen Convergence Panel will be our first credible resource to assess the dynamics of Internet usage and how it affects television viewing. As the initial agency to support this initiative, we look forward to having better information about the consumer and their evolving media behavior."