Image suppliedReliable advertising intelligence has long played an important role in understanding where brands are investing, how competitors are behaving and how the broader advertising landscape is changing.
With that continuity now under pressure, the industry needs a credible and reliable alternative.
That is the gap Ornico is working to address.
Ornico is developing a robust and comprehensive advertising intelligence monitoring and reporting solution aimed at providing the industry with continuity, while also building a stronger foundation for the future of advertising intelligence in South Africa.
The objective is not simply to replicate what existed before. It is to retain the methodology, reporting standards and structures the industry is accustomed to, while addressing historical gaps and introducing richer analytical capabilities.
Building the foundation
Credible advertising intelligence starts with the structure of the data.
The Ornico team is investing significant time and resources into mapping the category hierarchies, advertiser classifications, brand structures and product groupings that underpin advertising intelligence reporting.
Getting this foundation right is critical to ensuring that data can be reported consistently and in a way that facilitates a seamless transition for industry stakeholders.
It is also essential to maintaining confidence in the credibility and reliability of the data output.
Artificial intelligence will play an important role in helping Ornico achieve greater scale and automation, but the approach is deliberately considered.
During the foundational phase, AI detections are being complemented with manual coding, checks and validation to ensure output correctness.
The objective is to establish a structured foundation first, enabling greater repetition and automation beyond the foundational phase without compromising the quality of the data.
Continuity, but also improvement
Providing continuity is only part of the objective.
Ornico is also using the opportunity to address some of the historical gaps and shortcomings in advertising intelligence reporting.
One of the key priorities is ensuring greater completeness of data and representation across media platforms.
The advertising landscape has evolved significantly, and the diversity of inventory now available across different platforms means that advertising intelligence needs to evolve with it.
This includes expanding the advertising formats that are monitored and reported, as well as incorporating relevant reporting variables that have previously been excluded.
The aim is to provide a more complete representation of advertising activity across the market.
A richer view of the advertising landscape
Greater completeness of data creates opportunities for richer analysis.
By expanding the range of platforms, advertising formats and reporting variables captured, Ornico aims to provide industry stakeholders with deeper analytical capabilities and more meaningful insights.
For advertisers and agencies, this can provide greater visibility into competitive activity and category trends. For media owners, it can contribute to a clearer understanding of how advertising investment is distributed across the market.
Ultimately, the objective is to support better decision-making and provide the industry with a deeper understanding of the advertising landscape.
Building with the industry
Data checks and validation are currently an important part of the development process.
Once this process has been completed, Ornico intends to engage further with industry stakeholders by sharing test data, demonstrating the platform and gathering feedback ahead of the official launch.
That engagement will form an important part of ensuring that the solution continues to align with the reporting standards, expectations and practical requirements of the industry.
The departure of an established provider inevitably creates uncertainty, but it also creates an opportunity to look at what advertising intelligence needs to deliver next.
For Ornico, that starts with continuity and confidence in the data, supported by a strong foundation, responsible use of AI and a commitment to building a more complete view of South Africa’s advertising landscape.
Industry stakeholders who would like to learn more about Ornico’s approach, methodology or the development of the advertising intelligence solution are encouraged to get in touch. DM
About Ornico
Ornico provides reputation, media, advertising and brand research with a suite of products that includes Brand Intelligence® across the African continent. It does this to help marketers and brand owners make sense of the flood of information that occupies traditional and social media.
By collecting and analysing media data across many channels, Ornico informs brand owners and marketing decision makers about the most important strategic decisions they'll ever make regarding their brands.
From editorial and advertising monitoring services, social media analytics to advanced brand research, Ornico provides a holistic and independent view of brand performance as reflected by television, radio, print media as well as social and digital media.