On today’s ExchangeWire digest: AudienceProject & Microsoft strike ad measurement deal; Boots to launch AI personal shopper; YouTube delays co-viewing ad measurement plans…

AudienceProject has struck a deal with Microsoft Advertising to provide independent and continuous audience measurement for ads bought through Microsoft Advertising platforms in the UK and Germany. Measurement will be enabled through privacy-first data matching between both parties. Brands will be able to get insights for Microsoft Advertising alone, or in combination with other channels, to get a holistic overview to inform and optimise media buying decisions. 

In the retail sector, Boots will be taking advantage of its partnership with Microsoft – ChatGPT’s commercial distributor – to launch an AI personal shopper tool for its website, with the objective of boosting online sales. The retailer is reportedly in the early stages of testing a chatbot which will focus on beauty products, such as recommending make-up. Through its long-standing partnership with Microsoft, the retailer already utilises ChatGPT in other areas of its business. 

Meanwhile, YouTube has pushed back its co-viewing ad measurement plans, which had initially been scheduled for the first quarter of 2024 – we can now expect them in the fourth quarter, according to agency executives who are in contact with the video platform. YouTube plans to introduce co-viewing to “give advertisers a more comprehensive picture of their audience” on the platform, although there has been significant opposition to the new measurement plans from ad buyers since their announcement last summer. Some executives are unsure how accurately co-viewing measurement will count viewers according to a campaign’s targeting parameters, and how the changes will affect ad prices. 

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