Stunted Mideast TV Ad Market Could Get A Boost If Audiences Could Be Accurately Measured

Data on audience size is so unreliable in Mideast countries that big TV ad-spenders – General Motors, Unilever, Ford, etc. – cannot tell if the dollars they spend will get their message to the desired audiences. That means potential advertisers are backing away from TV ad spending, leaving the ad market underdeveloped. To remedy the problem, broadcasters, telecom operators and advertisers are working together to develop “people meters” that measure audiences in real-time and accurately value TV ad slots. Use of such meters could boost ad spending in the UAE and Saudi Arabia by 50 percent.