Filling the Data Consultancy Vacuum

(Writers’ note: This post is in part based on remarks made by me at the 2018 asi Conference.)  Last week was the annual asi International TV and Video Conference, held this year in Athens.  The asi has become an institution:  It has been held 28 years consecutively, with this year’s delegates (and speakers) coming from countries as diverse as Russia, New Zealand, Japan, Australia, the U.S.A., many mainland European markets, the Nordics and the U.K.  The focus is on measurement and data, an essential and timely topic for agencies and advertisers, as well as for broadcasters, the JIC systems and the research organizations.  Yet, few of the international network agencies show up (the usual response is, “We have a travel ban,” which I can’t help but notice mysteriously seems to evaporate come Cannes), presumably preferring to shout from the side-lines about how inadequate the measurement techniques are when it comes to multi-screens, multi-platforms and the rest.  It is after all far easier to criticize others than to join in any effort to solve the issues of the day.  You have to feel for the Kantars, the Nielsens, the gfks and the rest who go to great lengths to share their latest thoughts and efforts only to go home and read comments on how useless they are at solving “our real issues” from people who can’t be bothered to find out what’s going on.