• by Wayne Friedman , September 11, 2007

The Nielsen Co. has now joined other research companies in letting marketers know whether a commercial has run the day after it airs--through a new Web-based commercial tracking system called KeepingTrac.

Media agency Carat USA has signed up at the service's first client.

The service will not only let marketers see if gross rating points targets are being met and whether specific demographic goals are being achieved, but within a 24-hour turnaround. Marketers will be able to change their campaign while they are in progress.

Nielsen says KeepingTrac will provide tracking for all national broadcast and cable networks, as well as all local broadcast stations in all 210 U.S. designated market areas (DMAs).

But Nielsen isn't the only one that can do this. Other companies, including TNS Media Intelligence's Broadcast Verification Services, have been doing it for many years.

And BVS executives say it doesn't even need even a day--which it can be done in minutes after a commercial has aired.

Media agency executives say all this is good for business.

"This kind of information is going to be more relevant because of the industry moving to commercial minute ratings," says Brad Adgate, senior vice president and corporate research director for Horizon Media. "It's one of the few areas in research where there is competition and that's good."