• by March 14, 2003

A new software feature developed by IMS Media Solutions (IMS) now gives media planners access to Yahoo! channel level data. The new planning tool was developed in conjunction with Yahoo!, a leading global Internet company, and is being marketed by Marketing Resources Plus (MRP). In total, 25 Yahoo! channels and combined channels—including Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! News and Yahoo! Autos—are listed with individual reach curves associated with each channel. Previously, data was only available for the Yahoo! site as a whole, making it difficult for planners to make accurate comparisons with traditional media buys in vertical categories.

The new feature is available to users of the Web-based multi-media reach and frequency system called MRPrf, a reach and frequency tool that enables planners to mix Internet reach and frequency analyses with traditional media. With the new channel-segmented feature, planners can pair a Yahoo! channel with other media and Internet properties to create a multi-media reach and frequency schedule.

Yahoo! is currently the only major online media publisher available for planning in this segmented way in MRPrf.

Yahoo! Senior Market Research Manager, Judit Nagy, said, “We are very pleased with the new customization of MRPrf, and we believe it is a tremendous improvement for media planners. Now Yahoo! vertical properties can be compared and bought alongside other traditional vertical media like cable TV, network TV, spot TV and radio, in addition to broader horizontal planning. This new capability further streamlines and simplifies the way planners plan and buy media on Yahoo! and compare Yahoo! to other media vehicles.”

The new Yahoo! channel-specific data reflects IMS’ commitment to customized product development. According to IMS’ Mark Maiville, Vice President, Audience Analytics: “Customized solutions will play a larger role in the IMS service mix as companies like Yahoo! express the need for tools that match both their business footprint and marketplace demand.“

Yahoo is not the first to embrace the online reach and Frequency concept. The latest adopter was comScore, which this week announced a reach/frequency analysis that tool allows media professionals to more efficiently and effectively build media plans to achieve specific gross rating point (GRP) targets, a long-standing approach in the traditional media world.