iSpot.tv has appointed U.S. Census Bureau veteran Will Waldron to vice president of research, just as the measuring company prepares for industry accreditation.
Waldron will oversee iSpot’s Media Ratings Council (MRC) accreditation process, the first stage of which will be completed later this year. He’s also tasked with managing the company’s representative audience panel, focusing on data fidelity, accurate measurement and reliable ratings.
iSpot touts comprehensive methodology for racial subgroups like Black Americans, Hispanic Americans as well as Asian and Pacific Islanders.
“iSpot is ushering in a new era for audience measurement and one that can make the TV marketplace more equitable,” Waldron said in a statement. “iSpot recognizes the societal value of properly measuring the TV consumption of racial and ethnic minorities in service of the most representative sample of viewing.”
“Advertisers and networks want to reach these communities to better address their unique needs with more specialized product offerings,” he went on to say.
Prior to joining iSpot, Waldron served as lead scientist for nearly four years at the U.S. Census Bureau. There, he spearheaded the sampling and production of national surveys for federal agencies like the Center for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Labor.
Waldron also spent six years overseeing statistical management at Nielsen. Most notably, he managed teams of statisticians to measure TV, radio and digital audiences, while forming mathematical models for solving complex audience measurement issues.
iSpot over the past year has worked to solidify its role in the measurement industry. The company in March acquired Tunity to increase its data for out-of-home TV viewing. iSpot also partnered with GroupM to conduct a study analyzing connected TV ad fraud.
Players like iSpot are emerging as alternative currency providers, after big-time measurement company Nielsen lost its MRC accreditation on the grounds of potentially unreliable ratings.
But Nielsen is still an active participant in the media industry. Amazon recently selected Nielsen to provide audience insights for Thursday Night Football, which will stream on Prime Video starting this fall. Google is also leveraging Nielsen data to expand CTV ad buying options.
On its second quarter earnings report, Nielsen has said it plans to regain industry TV ratings accreditation later this year.