Nielsen acquires SocialGuide for social TV measurement

Nielsen and NM Incite (a joint venture between Nielsen and McKinsey & Co) have announced the acquisition of SocialGuide, a provider of social TV measurement, analytics and audience engagement solutions, RapidTVNews reports.

SocialGuide will be integrated immediately into NM Incite, the hub of Nielsen’s social media measurement and analytics efforts. Together, Nielsen, NM Incite and SocialGuide will focus on efforts to quantify the relationship between social TV and TV ratings to enable advertisers to maximize the impact of their spend, and provide new research metrics to understand social TV’s impact on consumer behaviour and viewing habits. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

“The opportunity in social TV is too big to ignore and there is a need for standard metrics and research to uncover the effect of social TV on programming and advertising strategies,” said Andrew Somosi, CEO of NM Incite. “TV networks are expanding their research, advertising and engagement efforts across social media. The powerful combination of Nielsen, NM Incite and SocialGuide will enable us to deliver unparalleled insights and capabilities to our TV and advertiser clients.”

The acquisition expands NM Incite’s social media research and analytics capabilities. SocialGuide is a comprehensive, real-time social TV capture service covering programming across 232 US TV channels in English and Spanish, and more than 30,000 programmes. Built for linear TV, SocialGuide’s intelligent analytics and engagement platform provides insight on the social impact of TV, enabling networks to develop strategies to engage with the social fan base in real time.

“The skyrocketing adoption and use of social media among consumers is transforming TV-watching into a more immediate and shared experience,” said Steve Hasker, president of global media products and advertiser solutions at Nielsen. “As TV networks see this phenomenon unfold, they require understanding of the impact of social TV on their programming, ratings and advertising effectiveness.”