Nielsen Introduces New Tracking System For Commercials

The Nielsen Company has launched a new web-based commercial tracking system called KeepingTrac (KT). The system enables clients, for the first time, to know whether their commercials ran the previous day according to their media plans. Prior to the launch of KT, clients typically had to wait weeks for a report on commercial airings.

Carat is the first company to sign up for this new system. This gives them the opportunity to track commercial airings on a daily/weekly basis, see if gross ratings point (GRP) commitments have been achieved, determine whether buying guidelines (including demographic targets) have been met, and modify advertising campaigns in real time as necessary.

KT provides next-day confirmation of television commercial airings for the national broadcast networks, national cable networks, and local broadcast stations in all 210 designated market areas in the United States. It also matches the ratings data against the media buy schedule.