Media and marketing research firm Ipsos Media and The Media Audit, a U.S. supplier of syndicated qualitative-audience ratings, will begin testing a new passive U.S. audience measurement system in mid-2006 that uses software in Smart Cell Phones to gather electronic media audience data. Ipsos software in the phones will monitor exposure to radio, electronic media, the Internet, and OOH media and is also capable of tracking retail shopping patterns via a GPS system. The system monitors on two levels: it reads encoded broadcaster signals as well as un-coded broadcast signals using audio-matching technology. Because of the omnipresence of cell phones today, Ipsos and The Media Audit expect high survey participant cooperation and compliance. The system also has the potential of including very large sample since anyone with a Smart Phone will be able to participate once the software has been downloaded.
