How We Measure

We live in a world of information, and it’s growing more expansive every day. So to stay ahead in an increasingly complex world of data, intelligence, metrics and messages, it’s vital to have an accurate read on your consumers, which is precisely where our measurement capabilities come into play.

Nielsen is a world leader in consumer measurement, and we’ve got the panels, databases, methodologies and technology to back it up. These are the key tools we use to keep our fingers on the pulse of consumers around the world.

We’ve developed standards for measurement in every area in which we work. Some methods are driven by electronic meters that measure audience engagement, while our more than 250,000 household panelists across 25 countries use in-home scanners to record their purchases from each shopping trip. And the scanner-based sales and causal information we gather each week from thousands of retail outlets helps identify the “why” as well as the “what” behind consumer product purchases. We’re also continually expanding our data by conducting millions of surveys each year that gauge worldwide consumer sentiment across myriad topics spanning everything from innovation to retail markets to the growing fragmentation within the digital landscape.

Across continents and industries, Nielsen measures activity and engagement at every consumer touch point—from TV screens to smartphones, from viral videos to shopping carts. More importantly, measurement in any specific area is just the beginning. With such a vast range of data at our fingertips, we can easily merge cross-industry intelligence to provide deeper insight into current markets—insight that sheds light on significant opportunities for growth. And this is Nielsen’s distinguishing attribute—the ability to illuminate an uncommon sense of the consumer for faster, smarter, better decisions to help your business grow.

Click through the “What We Measure” links for additional information about the specific areas we measure.