Methods and apparatus to monitor, verify, and rate the performance of airings of commercials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9508086-B2
Application number	US-201514746217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2015
Priority date	Jan 7, 2008
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to monitor, verify, and rate the performance of airings of commercials are disclosed. An example method includes analyzing received advertisement detection information associated with the advertisement, the advertisement detection information detected from a presentation of the advertisement; identifying a buy order corresponding to the presentation of the advertisement based on the advertisement detection information; determining a purchased ratings value from the buy order; comparing the purchased ratings value of the buy order to received ratings information corresponding to the presentation of the advertisement to determine whether the advertisement was presented as indicated in the buy order; and generating a performance monitoring report using the buy order and the advertisement detection information to indicate whether the ratings information is less than the purchased ratings value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring advertisements, the method comprising:
detecting, by executing an instruction with a processor, presentation of an advertisement on a channel at a first time;
identifying, by executing an instruction with the processor, a television program presented on the channel during a time slot associated with the first time;
obtaining, from a ratings provider, first ratings information for the presentation of the television program during the time slot, the first ratings information identifying exposure of the television program to a demographic;
combining, by executing an instruction with the processor, the first ratings information with second ratings information associated with a second time to generate a combined exposure for the demographic;
obtaining, from the ratings provider, third ratings information for the presentation of the television program during the time slot, the third ratings information identifying exposure to a total audience; and
combining, by executing an instruction with the processor, the third ratings information with fourth ratings information associated with the second time to generate a combined exposure for the total audience;
determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a demographic exposure ratio based on the combined exposure for the demographic and the combined exposure for the total audience;
comparing, by executing an instruction with the processor, the demographic exposure ratio to a threshold; and
issuing, by executing an instruction with the processor, a violation report when the demographic exposure ratio satisfies the threshold.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the demographic is associated with at least one of age or gender.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 ,
wherein the determining of the demographic exposure ratio includes dividing the combined exposure for the demographic by the combined exposure for the total audience.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the threshold is associated with a maximum desired exposure to the demographic.

5. A method for monitoring advertisements, the method comprising:
detecting, by executing an instruction with a processor, presentation of an advertisement associated with age-restricted subject matter on a channel at a first time;
identifying, by executing an instruction with the processor, a television program presented on the channel during a time slot associated with the first time;
obtaining, from a ratings provider, first ratings information for the presentation of the television program during the time slot, the first ratings information identifying exposure of the television program to a demographic associated with children;
combining, by executing an instruction with the processor, the first ratings information with second ratings information associated with a second time to generate a combined exposure for the demographic;
comparing, by executing an instruction with the processor, the combined exposure for the demographic to a threshold; and
when the combined exposure for the demographic satisfies the threshold, issuing, by executing an instruction with the processor, a violation report indicating that presentation of the advertisement to children satisfied the threshold.

6. The method as defined in claim 5 , wherein the age-restricted subject matter is associated with controlled substances.

7. A method for monitoring advertisements, the method comprising:
detecting, by executing an instruction with a processor, presentation of an advertisement targeted to a first gender on a channel at a first time;
identifying, by executing an instruction with the processor, a television program presented on the channel during a time slot associated with the first time;
obtaining, from a ratings provider, first ratings information for the presentation of the television program during the time slot, the first ratings information identifying exposure of the television program to a demographic associated with a second gender;
combining, by executing an instruction with the processor, the first ratings information with second ratings information associated with a second time to generate a combined exposure for the demographic;
comparing, by executing an instruction with the processor, the combined exposure for the demographic to a threshold; and
when the combined exposure for the demographic satisfies the threshold, issuing, by executing an instruction with the processor, a violation report indicating that presentation of the advertisement to the second gender satisfied the threshold.

8. An apparatus, comprising:
a performance verifier to:
detect presentation of an advertisement on a channel at a first time;
determine a television program presented on the channel during a time slot associated with the first time;
obtain, from a ratings provider, first ratings information for the presentation of the television program during the time slot, the first ratings information identifying exposure of the television program to a demographic; and
obtain, from the ratings provider, second ratings information for the presentation of the television program during the time slot, the second ratings information identifying exposure to a total audience;

a processor to:
combine the first ratings information with third ratings information associated with a second time to generate a combined exposure for the demographic;
combine the second ratings information with fourth ratings information associated with the second time to generate a combined exposure for the total audience;
determine a demographic exposure ratio based on the combined exposure for the demographic and the combined exposure for the total audience; and
compare the demographic exposure ratio to a threshold; and

a report generator to issue a violation report when the demographic exposure ratio satisfies the threshold.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 , wherein to determine the demographic exposure ratio, the processor is to divide the combined exposure for the demographic by the combined exposure for the total audience.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 , wherein the threshold is associated with a maximum desired exposure to the demographic.

11. An apparatus, comprising:
a performance verifier to:
detect presentation of an advertisement associated with age-restricted subject matter on a channel at a first time;
determine a television program presented on the channel during a time slot associated with the first time; and
obtain, from a ratings provider, first ratings information for the presentation of the television program during the time slot, the first ratings information identifying exposure of the television program to a demographic associated with children;

a processor to:
combine the first ratings information with second ratings information associated with a second time to generate a combined exposure for the demographic; and
compare the combined exposure for the demographic to a threshold; and

a report generator to, when the combined exposure for the demographic satisfies the threshold, issue a violation report indicating that presentation of the advertisement to children satisfies the threshold.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 , wherein the age-restricted subject matter is associated with controlled substances.

13. An apparatus, comprising:
a performance verifier to:
detect presentation of an advertisement targeted to a first gender on a channel at a first time;
determine a television program presented on the channel during a time slot associated with the first time; and
obtain, f

Assignees

• Nielsen Co Us Llc

Inventors

• Rathburn James Milton
• Miller Laurence Blair
• Whymark Thomas J
• Yu Huaiyeu Huey
• Yang Hui-Tung
• Shindle Stephen
• Chazen Jonathan
• Kaminski Joseph

Classifications

• G06Q10/0637

  Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals · CPC title

• G06Q30/02

  Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising · CPC title

• H04N21/2407

  Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads (arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14) · CPC title

• G06Q30/0246 Primary

  Traffic · CPC title

• H04N21/2547

  Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser · CPC title