Methods and apparatus to determine ratings information for online media presentations
Methods and apparatus to determine ratings information for online media presentations are disclosed. An example method includes receiving pingback messages corresponding to presentation of media at a client device, determining a portion of the media that was presented at the client device based on the pingback messages, obtaining demographic information associated with the client device, and determining a demographic characteristic associated with the presentation of the portion of the media based on the pingback messages and the demographic information.
1. An audience measurement entity device, comprising:
a communications interface to:
transmit first instructions which, when executed by a client device, cause the client device to transmit messages in response to presentations of portions of media; and
transmit a second message to the client device in response to a beacon request sent by the client device or in response to one of first messages sent by the client device based on the first instructions, ones of the first messages corresponding to different ones of the portions of the media presented at the client device, the second message to cause the client device to transmit a third message to a database proprietor, the third message to cause the database proprietor to transmit demographic information associated with the client device; and
a processor to:
determine, based on one of the first messages and the demographic information, a first demographic characteristic associated with a first one of the portions of the media presented at the client device;
determine numbers of impressions for respective ones of the portions of the media based on the first messages and based on fourth messages from other client devices; and
determine respective demographic characteristics corresponding to the impressions based on the first demographic characteristic, the first messages, and the fourth messages.
2. The device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the communications interface is to receive the demographic information based on a cookie provided to the client device by the audience measurement entity device, the first messages including the cookie.
3. The device as defined in claim 1 , further including a rules engine to select the database proprietor, the communications interface to transmit the second message as a redirect message to the client device.
4. The device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the media includes content and an advertisement, the first one of the portions of the media including the advertisement, and the processor is to determine the first demographic characteristic associated with the first one of the portions of the media by determining the first demographic characteristic associated with only the advertisement.
5. The device as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least a first one of the first messages includes a time referenced to a designated point in the media, the processor to identify a first one of the impressions for one of the portions of the media based on the time and based on at least a second one of the first messages.
6. The device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the portions of the media correspond to discrete intervals of the media, and ones of the first messages correspond to respective ones of the discrete intervals.
7. The device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the processor is to determine the respective demographic characteristics corresponding to the impressions by determining ones of the impressions that are attributable to a demographic group.
8. A method, comprising:
transmitting, by a logic circuit of an audience measurement entity, first instructions which, when executed by a client device, cause the client device to transmit messages in response to presentations of portions of media;
transmitting, by the logic circuit of the audience measurement entity, a second message to the client device in response to a beacon request sent by the client device or in response to one of first messages sent by the client device based on the first instructions, ones of the first messages corresponding to different ones of the portions of the media presented at the client device, the second message to cause the client device to transmit a third message to a database proprietor, the third message to cause the database proprietor to transmit demographic information associated with the client device;
determining, by executing second instructions with the logic circuit of the audience measurement entity, a first demographic characteristic associated with a first one of the portions of the media presented at the client device based on one of the first messages and the demographic information;
determining, by executing third instructions with the logic circuit of the audience measurement entity, numbers of impressions for respective ones of the portions of the media based on the first messages and based on fourth messages from other client devices; and
determining, by executing fourth instructions with the logic circuit of the audience measurement entity, respective demographic characteristics corresponding to the impressions based on the first demographic characteristic, the first messages, and the fourth messages.
9. The method as defined in claim 8 , further including obtaining the demographic information based on a cookie provided to the client device by the audience measurement entity, the first messages including the cookie.
10. The method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the transmitting of the second message includes transmitting the second message as a redirect message to the client device.
11. The method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the media includes content and an advertisement, the first one of the portions of the media including the advertisement, and the determining of the first demographic characteristic associated with the first one of the portions of the media includes determining the first demographic characteristic associated with only the advertisement.
12. The method as defined in claim 8 , wherein at least a first one of the first messages includes a time referenced to a designated point in the media, the method further including determining a first one of the impressions for one of the portions of the media based on the time and based on at least a second one of the first messages.
13. The method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the portions of the media correspond to discrete intervals of the media, and ones of the first messages correspond to respective ones of the discrete intervals.
14. The method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the determining of the respective demographic characteristics corresponding to the impressions includes determining ones of the impressions that are attributable to a demographic group.
15. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising first computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a logic circuit of an audience measurement entity to at least:
transmit second instructions which, when executed by a client device, cause the client device to transmit messages in response to presentations of portions of media;
transmit a second message to the client device in response to a beacon request sent by the client device or in response to one of first messages sent by the client device based on the second instructions, ones of the first messages corresponding to different ones of the portions of the media presented at the client device, the second message to cause the client device to transmit a third message to a database proprietor, the third message to cause the database proprietor to transmit demographic information associated with the client device;
determine a first demographic characteristic associated with a first one of the portions of the media presented at the client device based on one of the first messages and the demographic information;
determine numbers of impressions for respective ones of the portions of the media based on the first messages and based on fourth messages from other client devices; and
determine respective demographic characteristics corresponding to the impressions based on the first demographic characteristic, the first messages, and the fourth messages.
16. The storage medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein the first computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the logic circuit of the audience measurement entity to access the demographic information based on a cookie provided to the client device by the audience measurement entity, the first messages including the cookie.
17. The storage medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein the media includes content and an advertisement, the first one of the portions of the media including the advertisement, and the first instructions are to cause the logic circuit to determine the first demographic characteristic associated with the first one of the portions of the media by determining the first demographic characteristic associated with only the advertisement.
18. The storage medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein at least a first one of the first messages includes a time referenced to a designated point in the media, the first instructions to further cause the logic circuit to determine a first one of the impressions for one of the portions of the media based on the time and based on at least a second one of the first messages.
19. The storage medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein the portions of the media correspond to discrete intervals of the media, and ones of the first messages correspond to respective ones of the discrete intervals.
20. The storage medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein the first instructions are further to cause the logic circuit to determine the respective demographic characteristics corresponding to the impressions by determining ones of the impressions that are attributable to a demographic group.