Prospective advertisers can easily compare the rate card and raw data to other newspapers in the region or across the country, then make a decision. When the Internet came along, the advertising industry lauded its promise of a bigger bang for the sponsor's buck. In theory, use of the new medium meant that companies looking to place ads could see detailed data from the registration info of every subscriber, and exact logs of reading habits, down to the very second. In practice, however, such definition has proved elusive. The Association of National Advertisers, in a May survey of 124 of the top advertisers in the United States, reported that 68 percent wouldn't spend money online without better proof of return on investment, while 56 percent were waiting for reliable and accurate measurement information.
Common ground is scarce indeed.
The companies can't even agree on the basics - like how many Americans are connected to the Internet. In fact, the need to establish a standard for gauging Internet audience prompted Media Metrix and RelevantKnowledge to announce in October that they were merging. In another merger move, Nielsen recently acquired an equity share of NetRatings. One reason for discrepancies among the data gatherers is their differing methodologies. Most firms install measurement devices on consumers' home computers - but sample sizes vary from 2,000 to 12,000, and selection criteria vary from random sampling to targeting experienced Web surfers.