Former Worldwide CEO of Research International to lead online industry research body towards tender for new planning currency.

Monday, 4 August 2008

JICIMS - the Joint Industry Committee for Internet Measurement Systems - has appointed Mark Cranmer as its first Chairman. Cranmer will be at the forefront of the next phase of the body’s role, as they issue a formal Invitation to Tender to selected research companies, with the appointment of a JICIMS contractor to follow.

Created in 2007, JICIMS was founded to create, administer and fund an industry agreed system for planning advertising campaigns using online media in the UK, and boasts the AOP, IAB, IPA and ISBA as its four key stakeholders. This system is intended to achieve the status of a recognised planning currency for web based media by advertisers, agencies and online media owners, and will be based on a user centric approach to audience measurement

In spring 2008, JICIMS released a Request for Proposals which invited leading media measurement companies to submit ideas on the methodology, scope and cost of the project. The JICIMS Board and Technical Group were gratified by the range and depth of the proposals received, which have been submitted to detailed scrutiny over the last few weeks.

The next milestone for JICIMS is a planned stakeholder summit at the end of September, which will bring together major advertisers, agencies and media owners to resolve outstanding issues and finally pave the way for the introduction of a new currency.

Mark Cranmer is seasoned media professional with more than three decades served in the communications industry, who has held senior positions in advertising, media and research agencies. Previously CEO EMEA of Starcom Mediavest Group and a worldwide director of Publicis Groupe Media, most recently Cranmer was worldwide CEO of Research International, part of the WPP Group. He has been a member of the IPA Media Policy Group, and now pursues a portfolio of interests also inside and outside the communications industry.

Ruth Brownlee, director of AOP said: "Mark is one of the great personalities in our industry, with an amazing track-record. It's a fantastic appointment and he's definitely going to help pull all the stakeholders and organisations together. We’re looking forward to helping him champion and develop the future aims of JICIMS."

Lynne Robinson, research director of the IPA said: ‘We are delighted that Mark has taken on the role of chairman of JICIMS. His extensive experience in leading companies will greatly benefit JICIMS at this pivotal time in its development.’

“This is excellent news. JICIMS has already conducted successive surveys of the UK online population and received outline proposals from a range of leading research companies for a major industry contract whose objective is to deliver a comprehensive user-centric audience measurement planning currency. Its aim is to invite formal tenders for such a contract soon. JICIMS is therefore very fortunate to have secured such a well-qualified and high-profile figure to lead it towards and through this next, and critical, phase”.

• For more information contact Amy Kean