• by Joe Mandese , September 12, 2007

NBC Universal is quietly organizing a new council of ad agency research, strategy and media buying executives that will develop and field primary research that helps move the media marketplace forward. The projects, which will be funded by NBC Universal, would be conceived and designed by the heads of agency media research organizations in collaboration with their planning and buying teams.

The effort, which is being headed by NBC Universal Senior Vice President-Market Development Debbie Reichig, a long-time Madison Avenue collaborator who developed a similar concept when she was a top marketing executive at Court TV prior to its acquisition by Turner Broadcasting System, comes as an array of third-party funded research initiatives are seeking to illuminate critical media marketplace issues.

While media companies historically have conducted proprietary research to better position their wares on Madison Avenue, the shift toward collaborative, buyer-developed research recognizes a couple of important trends: 1) That the research must be neutral, and actionable to media buyers and advertisers; and 2) That agencies generally don't have the financial resources to conduct it themselves, and their clients are loath to fund it.

Among the other third-party funded research initiatives currently in operation are the Turner ROI Council (formerly The ROI Council developed by Reichig at Court TV), and the Nielsen Media Research-backed Council for Research Excellence.

The big difference between the ROI Council and the new, as-yet-unnamed NBC Universal initiative, are the financial resources available to fund agency oriented projects.

NBC Universal has deep pockets, and is committed to funding research that goes beyond conventional market studies to provide real, actionable, market-changing insights. NBC Universal's Reichig says the move isn't entirely altruistic, but has two benefits for NBC Universal. The first and most obvious is goodwill. The second, she says, is a common interest in uncovering insights that lead to better media marketplace decisions, and to ensure that NBC Universal's assets are part of those solutions.

With the assumption being that any project that the research leaders of agencies determine as important, will almost by definition have to be important to NBC as well.

"Our assumption is that any project that the research leaders of agencies determine as important will, almost by definition, have to be important to NBC Universal, as well," she says.

The heads of media research at 15 of Madison Avenue's largest shops have already joined the council and more are expected to come on board. During an inaugural meeting at Del Frisco's Steakhouse in New York, the team formulated a rudimentary mission statement, and began outlining potential projects.

The working mission statement is: "A forum to conduct game changing, actionable collaborative research that agency partners would not be able to afford on their own."

Among the concepts discussed as possible research endeavors were usual suspects like "engagement" and cross-platform research, but Reichig said there were a few surprising and inspired suggestions, as well, including, "a great deal of interest in looking at the value of mass advertising as a strategy.

"What is the value of reaching mass audiences all at once, as opposed to going in the direction we seem to be going in of one to few marketing," she said.

Other goals included research that leads to a better understanding of how viewers - and specific audience segments - relate to media.

While the council does not have an official name, Carat's Shari Anne Brill suggested the Council of Industry Knowledge.

A second meeting that would begin outlining next steps for concrete research projects is expected to be organized within the next month.