IAB SA invites industry members to tender for role as online measurement partner

The IAB SA Executive Board and the IAB SA Future of Measurement Committee is searching for an official online audience measurement partner. The provider is expected to deliver the IAB SA with web and application measurement services to create a ‘single currency’ to be used as a benchmark for all industry stakeholders. Narratiive has held the position since 2017.

While this is not a new project, the new tender process provides the opportunity for review of capabilities and methodologies at a point where digital media measurement is undergoing considerable change.

To keep abreast of, and cater to, a platform influenced by rapid advances in technology, increased fragmentation, and ever-shifting consumer behaviour, it is crucial that the digital advertising and marketing industry has access to concrete, accurate data to understand the digital audience landscape and inform decision-making around advertising spend.

The IAB SA Future of Measurement Committee, chaired by Imraan Rajab, general manager: media at MTN Group, was formed last year to inform and empower the industry by providing a system of measurement that provides value for all stakeholders in the supply chain. It consists of experts from all avenues of the industry, including advertisers, agencies, and publishers.

“Definitive, consistent measurement is essential for the success of our local digital media ecosystem. That said, the rapidly-changing nature of consumer behaviour, coupled with continuous technological advancements make achieving a clear and concise measurement framework challenging. The chosen measurement partner will therefore play a critical role in cutting through the noise, and guide both the IAB SA Future of Measurement Committee and industry at large with metrics and benchmarks that empower all role players to make informed decisions,” said Rajab.

The chosen measurement partner will play a critical role in enabling the IAB SA to fulfil one of its key objectives, namely (to) enable the South African digital marketing industry with a single, credible audience and revenue measurement and tracking product to act as a planning tool for advertising and media agencies and as an information source for the marketing community.

“Demystifying the many measurement capabilities of the digital landscape is the first step in enabling the industry to make informed decisions. Publishers, especially, require a “source of truth” via clearly defined measurement metrics if they are to successfully cater to shifting consumer demand and ultimately drive profit. The IAB SA looks forward to partnering with our measurement partner to further assist and empower the digital marketing and advertising industries across all segments,” said IAB SA vice-chair: Claire Cobbledick, GM of Gumtree.

The measurement tender RFI process will run its course over the next four to six weeks, culminating in a review by the Future of Measurement Committee and an advisory board that will inform the selection of the successful measurement partner short list for the RFP portion of the tender; and ultimately inform the selection of the successful measurement partner for the next three years.

The IAB SA invites interested parties to respond to the request for information so that they may be considered as part of the short list for the tender process. All relevant documentation regarding the tender can be found here.

Details of the indicative tender timeframe below are not binding on IAB and may be subject to amendment in the absolute discretion of IAB.

Vendors are requested to complete the RFI and submit their response to measurementRFI@iabsa.net in accordance with the Tender Timeline.

All questions and/or queries are to be directed to the IAB SA in writing, via email to: measurementRFI@iabsa.net  – no telephonic enquiries will be responded to.  All information provided to IAB SA will be regarded as confidential.