ANA bows new cross-media measurement unit, Aquila

Dive Brief:

The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) has announced a new entity, Aquila, that is being established to operationalize and execute a cross-media measurement (CMM) solution in the U.S., according to a press release.
Aquila will support a broad range of use cases for planning, optimizing, post-campaign reporting and outcome measurement to deliver a privacy-by-design, neutral and transparent system. Leadership includes a coalition of ANA member advertiser companies and platforms including Google, Meta, Amazon and TikTok.
Aquila has also contracted with Kantar Media to build a single-source cross-media calibration audience panel in the U.S. and will also work with Accenture for an upfront phase of planning for the solution’s rollout and the definition of its technology requirements.

Dive Insight:

The ANA has been working on a system that would enable advertisers to measure linear and non-linear advertising, which would give them the ability to better control the reach and frequency of their advertising campaigns, for nearly three years. The trade association has brought in partners such as VideoAmp and Comscore to work on the project, as well as other groups including the American Association of Advertising Agencies and the Video Advertising Bureau. Now, the system is nearing prime time.

“After sufficient testing and validation, Aquila is moving the CMM initiative to the next phase of bringing a scaled CMM solution to the U.S,” said Bill Tucker, who will lead Aquila as president and oversee the CMM efforts, in a statement. “This will unlock substantial value for all stakeholders and deliver an improved ad experience for all audiences and segments through transparent measurement.”

Aquila will deploy a “principles-based approach to deliver a privacy-by-design, neutral and transparent technical solution” using a suite of “privacy-preserving technologies,” according to the ANA. Aquila is similar to, but also complementary to, other measurement systems created by other trade associations, including ISBA’s Origin and WFA’s HALO.

While the Media Rating Council has served as an independent advisor to the CMM initiative, it has not been a part of the ANA’s selection process of solution partners and the ANA will seek to get MRC accreditation. The ANA estimated that its CMM initiative will eliminate $50 billion in wasted spending over a three-year period by improving media productivity and eliminating excess frequency.

“The ANA’s progress is a step in the right direction to unify the industry to achieve a deduplicated reach and frequency cross-media measurement solution that will enable marketers to deliver a better consumer media experience while avoiding unnecessary waste,” said Kanishka Das, senior director of global media, analytics and insights at Procter & Gamble, in a statement. Das is also the marketer chair of the founder’s coalition of the CMM initiative.

According to MediaPost, Aquila will be established as a for-profit entity within the nonprofit ANA. The intention is not for it to be a profit center, but rather for it to be “self-sustainable.”