IAG Research was a media-measurement company[1] founded in 1999 in New York City by Alan Gould, Ken Orkin and Eric Gould.[2] IAG conducted research with viewers to measure the effectiveness of advertising and program engagement across television and the Internet.[3][4][5]

IAG Research
IndustryMedia
Founded1999
FoundersAlan Gould
Eric Gould
Ken Orkin
HeadquartersNew York City, New York, U.S.

IAG was created to address growing concerns from large marketers that consumers were avoiding television advertisements because of ad-skipping DVRs,[6] and because of high levels of ad clutter on TV.[7] These concerns led marketers to seek out more granular forms of TV measurement, as TV at that time represented their largest ad expenditure.[8]

In 2004, the company introduced a measurement for product placement and branded content to help marketers understand the performance and value of in-show brand integrations that could not be easily skipped.[9][10]

Some in the media buying and planning industry including Starcom expressed skepticism about IAG's online methodology for acquiring viewer data.[11] Over time IAG's methodology gained increased acceptance, leading more advertisers and all major TV networks to work with IAG prior to its 2008 acquisition.[12]

In 2006, IAG metrics were the first non-Nielsen ratings ever used by a media company, NBC, to guarantee the performance of its advertising to Toyota, J&J and Verizon.[13] In 2007, IAG began to integrate web and online video advertising metrics for its clients.[14]

In 2008, IAG was acquired by the Nielsen Company under the leadership of CEO David Calhoun.[15] The acquisition provided Nielsen with data on how consumers responded to television ads, alongside its measurement of TV viewership.[12][16]

Venture Partners

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IAG's investors included Insight Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, and AEA Investors.[17][18]

References

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  1. ^ "Nielsen to Buy IAG Research for $225 Million". adage.com. 2008-04-07. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  2. ^ "Start-Up Helps Marketers Gauge Success By Drawing Consumers to Survey Site". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  3. ^ "Questions for … Alan Gould". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  4. ^ "Data Geeks Make Good". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  5. ^ "TV Ads: Measuring Viewer Engagement". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  6. ^ "The death (and rebirth?) of TV". CNN. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  7. ^ "Ad Clutter Reaches All-Time High in Some Dayparts". Adweek. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  8. ^ "Ad Evolution". Raconteur. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  9. ^ "MindShare to Use IAG Product Placement Service". adage.com. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
  10. ^ "IAG Ranks Top Integrations". Adweek. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
  11. ^ "Research Firms Tackle Ways To Measure Placement". Adweek. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
  12. ^ a b "Nielsen buys IAG Research for $225 million - Apr. 7, 2008". money.cnn.com. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  13. ^ Steinberg, Brian (2006-07-21). "NBC Bets Its Viewers Pay Attention". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  14. ^ "Data Geeks Make Good". Bloomberg.com. 2007-11-26. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  15. ^ Elliott, Stuart (2008-04-08). "Nielsen's Latest Purchase Is Audience Research Firm". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  16. ^ "TV Ads: Measuring Viewer Engagement". Bloomberg.com. 2009-04-22. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  17. ^ Steinberg, Brian (2006-05-24). "Venture-Capital Firms Buy IAG Research Stake". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  18. ^ "SFW Acquires AgData". themiddlemarket.com. Retrieved 2022-01-19.