Facebook to Collaborate with Nielsen on Ad Presence

Facebook and Nielsen Co. are joining forces in hopes of capturing insight into Facebook advertising. As Facebook continues to grow, advertising is becoming a key component in monetizing the social network. Advertisers, however, are skeptical in trusting that advertising would work—this is where Nielsen steps in. Nielsen’s role in the partnership will be that of an authoritative foundation for what Facebook is doing with its ads. According to The Wall Street Journal, “Facebook will provide that data, including responses from those who didn’t see an ad, to Nielsen, which will package it for advertisers”.

The product, named the Nielsen Brand Lift, will help validate and prove to advertisers that Facebook ads do in fact work. WSJ also mentions that the companies also plan to launch a service that would give data about advertising on other sites (although more information is yet to be released). Facebook’s ads, polls and introduction of interactive ads spell the perfect partnership for Nielsen. Nevertheless, “the site must prove that the display ads it sells can be as valuable as other online ads”. Will Nielsen’s credibility help solidify Facebook as a reliable place to display ads with return on investment?