• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, April 27, 2023

"Trust and transparency throughout the buying and selling process is paramount," begins a statement Nielsen sent to clients this morning, as part of its "continuing endorsement" of the Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation process heading into the upfront planning and buying season for the 2023-24 season.

The statement, published in its entirety below, comes as networks-owned OpenAP is scheduled to host an "upfront-style" event later today in New York City to pitch the ad industry on a "joint industry committee (JIC)" it has been organizing with the Video Advertising Bureau to certify new ad marketplace "currencies" heading into the 2023-24 upfront marketplace.

Last week, Nielsen said it did not plan to participate in OpenAP's JIC process, though the company is expected to "re-engage" with the JIC's "request for information process" if and when it gets "clarity on how its certification will complement the MRC," as well as details on the certification process, including its explicit criteria such as how "scoring" will work.

While the proposed JIC has been endorsed by several major ad agencies, who said they will participate, it's emergence has sent unclear signals to the U.S. ad marketplace about how the role of its certification process vs. the MRC's long-standing, rigorous, self-regulatory industry accreditation process.

On April 17, following an exhaustive auditing process, the MRC re-accredited Nielsen's national TV ratings service heading into the 2023-24 upfront marketplace.

Nielsen's statement to clients can be read in its entirety below:

Trust and transparency throughout the buying and selling process is paramount, which is why Nielsen believes strongly that the currency used by our industry be audited and ultimately accredited by the most rigorous standards set by the Media Rating Council (MRC). We will continue to endorse the MRC accredited panel-only currency for the upcoming planning season while we move ahead with the process to seek full accreditation for a currency informed by big data. We understand these changes are complex and that every company in the media ecosystem is readying themselves at various speeds. Big data will still be available for additional measurement during this transition for clients seeking to transact on it. Rollout plans for Nielsen ONE will not be impacted by this change.