Methods and apparatus to correct misattributions of media impressions

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first impressions collector to:

log first impressions in a memory at a first internet domain corresponding to an audience measurement entity, the first impressions logged based on first network communications from client devices received at a first server of the first internet domain, the first impressions corresponding to media accessed via the client devices; and

access second impressions logged by a second server of a second internet domain, the second impressions corresponding to panelists of the audience measurement entity that are also registered subscribers of a database proprietor corresponding to the second internet domain, the first and second impressions corresponding to the same media accessed via the client devices;

a second impressions collector to obtain development impression records from the database proprietor, the development impression records corresponding to the second impressions, a user-level comparison between (a) the first impressions logged by the first impressions collector at the first internet domain and (b) the development impression records of the second impressions logged by the second server at the second internet domain indicative of a misattribution error generated by the second server in the development impression records;

an impressions adjustment factor determiner to determine an impressions adjustment factor for a first demographic group based on subtracting a first unique audience measure determined by the database proprietor from a second unique audience measure determined by the audience measurement entity to generate a difference, and dividing the difference by a total impressions count of the first impressions, the first unique audience measure being based on the second impressions, and the second unique audience measure being based on the first impressions; and

an impressions corrector to determine a misattribution-corrected impressions count for the first demographic group by applying the impressions adjustment factor to a second impressions count determined by the second server at the second internet domain for the first demographic group, the misattribution-corrected impressions count to correct the misattribution error generated by the second server by redistributing one of the second impressions from the first demographic group to a second demographic group, the first impressions collector, the second impressions collector, the impressions adjustment factor determiner, and the impressions corrector implemented by one or more programmable processors.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the misattribution error includes one of the second impressions misattributed by the second server to the first demographic group, and the misattribution error based on a first registered user of the database proprietor corresponding to the first demographic group logging into a database proprietor website via a first one of the client devices and a second user corresponding to the second demographic group accessing the media via the first one of the client devices.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 , further including the first impressions collector to instruct the client devices, by sending redirect network communications from the first server of the first internet domain to the client devices, to send third network communications to the second server of the second internet domain, the third network communications to cause the second server to log the second impressions, the first network communications indicative of accesses to the media at the client devices, and the first network communications including identifiers from the audience measurement entity corresponding to the panelists of the audience measurement entity.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the misattribution error is based on the second server incorrectly logging the one of the second impressions as attributed to the first demographic group when the one of the second impressions corresponds to the second demographic group.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the impressions corrector is to determine the misattribution-corrected impressions count by shifting the one of the second impressions from the second impressions count corresponding to the first demographic group to a third impressions count corresponding to the second demographic group based on the impressions adjustment factor.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second server corresponds to a social network service at the second internet domain to which the panelists are subscribed.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the misattribution-corrected impressions count is less than the second impressions count based on shifting the one of the second impressions from the second impressions count corresponding to the first demographic group to a third impressions count corresponding to the second demographic group based on the impressions adjustment factor.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

log first impressions in a memory at a first internet domain corresponding to an audience measurement entity, the first impressions logged based on first network communications from client devices received at a first server of the first internet domain, the first impressions corresponding to media accessed via client devices;

access second impressions logged by a second server of a second internet domain, the second impressions corresponding to panelists of the audience measurement entity that are also registered subscribers of a database proprietor corresponding to the second internet domain, the first and second impressions corresponding to the same media accessed via the client devices;

obtain development impression records from the database proprietor, the development impression records corresponding to the second impressions, a user-level comparison between (a) the first impressions logged by the first server at the first internet domain and (b) the development impression records of the second impressions logged by the second server at the second internet domain indicative of a misattribution error generated by the second server in the development impression records;

determine an impressions adjustment factor for a first demographic group based on subtracting a first unique audience measure determined by the database proprietor from a second unique audience measure determined by the audience measurement entity to generate a difference, and dividing the difference by a total impressions count of the first impressions, the first unique audience measure being based on the second impressions, and the second unique audience measure being based on the first impressions; and

determine a misattribution-corrected impressions count for the first demographic group by applying the impressions adjustment factor to a second impressions count determined by the second server at the second internet domain for the first demographic group, the misattribution-corrected impressions count to correct the misattribution error generated by the second server by redistributing one of the second impressions from the first demographic group to a second demographic group.

9. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the misattribution error includes one of the second impressions misattributed by the second server to the first demographic group, and the misattribution error based on a first registered user of the database proprietor corresponding to the first demographic group logging into a database proprietor website via a first one of the client devices and a second user corresponding to the second demographic group accessing the media via the first one of the client devices.

10. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

associate identifiers from the audience measurement entity with the panelists of the audience measurement entity based on logins via a website of the audience measurement entity at the first internet domain, the logins corresponding to the panelists accessing the website via the client devices, the first network communications indicative of accesses to the media at the client devices, and the first network communications including the identifiers; and

instruct the client devices, by sending redirect network communications from the first server of the first internet domain to the client devices, to send third network communications to the second server of the second internet domain, the third network communications to cause the second server to log second impressions.

11. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the misattribution error is based on the second server incorrectly logging the one of the second impressions as attributed to the first demographic group when the one of the second impressions corresponds to the second demographic group.

12. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to determine the misattribution-corrected impressions count by shifting the one of the second impressions from the second impressions count corresponding to the first demographic group to a third impressions count corresponding to the second demographic group based on the impressions adjustment factor.

13. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the misattribution-corrected impressions count is less than the second impressions count based on shifting the one of the second impressions from the second impressions count corresponding to the first demographic group to a third impressions count corresponding to the second demographic group based on the impressions adjustment factor.

14. A method, comprising:

logging, by executing an instruction with a processor, first impressions in a memory at a first internet domain corresponding to an audience measurement entity, the first impressions logged based on first network communications from client devices received at a first server of the first internet domain, the first impressions corresponding to media accessed via the client devices;

accessing, by executing an instruction with the processor, second impressions logged by a second server of a second internet domain, the second impressions corresponding to panelists of the audience measurement entity that are also registered subscribers of a database proprietor corresponding to the second internet domain, the first and second impressions corresponding to the same media accessed via the client devices;

obtaining, by executing an instruction with the processor, development impression records from the database proprietor, the development impression records corresponding to the second impressions, a user-level comparison between (a) the first impressions logged in the memory at the first internet domain and (b) the development impression records of the second impressions logged by the second server at the second internet domain indicative of a misattribution error generated by the second server in the development impression records;

determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, an impressions adjustment factor for a first demographic group based on subtracting a first unique audience measure determined by the database proprietor from a second unique audience measure determined by the audience measurement entity to generate a difference, and dividing the difference by a total impressions count of the first impressions, the first unique audience measure being based on the second impressions, and the second unique audience measure being based on the first impressions; and

determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a misattribution-corrected impressions count for the first demographic group by applying the impressions adjustment factor to a second impressions count determined by the second server at the second internet domain for the first demographic group, the misattribution-corrected impressions count to correct the misattribution error generated by the second server by redistributing one of the second impressions from the first demographic group to a second demographic group.

15. The method as defined in claim 14 , wherein the misattribution error includes one of the second impressions misattributed by the second server to the first demographic group, and the misattribution error based on a first registered user of the database proprietor corresponding to the first demographic group logging into a database proprietor website via a first one of the client devices and a second user corresponding to the second demographic group accessing the media via the first one of the client devices.

16. The method as defined in claim 15 , further including:

associating, by executing an instruction with the processor, identifiers from the audience measurement entity with the panelists of the audience measurement entity based on logins via a website of the audience measurement entity at the first internet domain, the logins corresponding to the panelists accessing the website via the client devices, the first network communications indicative of accesses to the media at the client devices, and the first network communications including the identifiers; and

instructing the client devices, by sending redirect network communications from the first server of the first internet domain to the client devices, to send third network communications to the second server of the second internet domain, the third network communications to cause the second server to log the second impressions.

17. The method as defined in claim 14 , wherein the misattribution error is based on the second server incorrectly logging the one of the second impressions as attributed to the first demographic group when the one of the second impressions corresponds to the second demographic group.

18. The method as defined in claim 14 , wherein determining the misattribution-corrected impressions count includes shifting the one of the second impressions from the second impressions count corresponding to the first demographic group to a third impressions count corresponding to the second demographic group based on the impressions adjustment factor.

19. The method as defined in claim 14 , wherein the second server corresponds to a social network service at the second internet domain to which the panelists are subscribed.

20. The method as defined in claim 14 , wherein the misattribution-corrected impressions count is less than the second impressions count based on shifting the one of the second impressions from the second impressions count corresponding to the first demographic group to a third impressions count corresponding to the second demographic group based on the impressions adjustment factor.