The lead news story in this issue addresses a controversy in the Internet media community over the validity of Web site audience measurement data being provided by Media Metrix Canada – which issued its first audience report last month after opening shop here in Canada last fall. It seems there are a few major Web sites around that aren’t happy with the fact that Media Metrix isn’t yet measuring Web usage in Canadian workplaces or in French Canada.

Canoe, which has been the most vocal critic of Media Metrix thus far, claims that its own audience tracking systems show it’s getting nearly three times the number of unique visitors to its site than was reported last month by Media Metrix. Adding fuel to Canoe’s public indignation is the fact that its numbers have been audited and verified by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC).

For its part, Media Metrix makes no attempt to hide the fact that its measurement data is currently limited to an analysis of the Web-surfing habits of a panel of 2,000 English-speaking consumers who surf the Net in their homes. It is, however, in the process of expanding the size of its panel to 5,000 consumers and adding a workplace component to its reporting process by next summer. In the meantime, Media Metrix is confident that it’s gathering enough relevant data from its existing panel to deliver a partial, but still meaningful, glimpse of Canadian consumer Web usage habits.

In other words, even in its current unfinished state, Media Metrix provides Web advertisers with an independent, across-the-board analysis of the Canadian Internet media industry – which is more than the industry’s had before. Certainly, the ABC methodology is a more comprehensive, and presumably more accurate, way of measuring the visitor activity on a single site. But, because of its highly focused nature, the ABC audit is not suitable for presenting an aggregate view of the Canadian Web scene.

The Media Metrix audience measurement process isn’t perfect now, and probably never will be. But until Nielsen Media Research rolls out its Net/Ratings system later this year, Media Metrix is all the industry’s got. Why not give it a chance to smooth out the bumps in its process?

After all, no one Web site is being singled out for unfair treatment – the same measurement model is being applied to all. If it’s ultimately proven that Nielsen or ABC or some other party has a better system, let that one become the standard. Just don’t kick the legs out from under them before giving them a chance to fully demonstrate their worth.

David Bosworth

dbosworth@brunico.com

Strategy is on the ground in Cannes, bringing you the latest news, wins and conference highlights all week long. Catch all the coverage here.

Friday’s batch of Silver and Bronze winners included the oldest category at the Cannes festival, Film, as well as Sustainable Development Goals, Dan Wieden Titanium, Glass: The Lion for Change and Grand Prix for Good. Canadians were recognized with four Lions today: two Silver and a Bronze in Film, as well as a Bronze in Sustainable Development Goals.

FCB Toronto was given yet another nod for its work, “The Count,” for SickKids, bringing the medal count for that campaign to four, including a Gold for Health & Wellness. Another Canadian agency recognized on the final day of the festival was Klick Health Toronto, which earned a Silver in Film for its work “Love Captured” for Human Trafficking Awareness and a Bronze for “18 Months” for Second Nurture. And over in Sustainable Development Goals, the Bronze went to Publicis Canada and its “Wildfire Watchtowers” work for Rogers.

Another massive win for Canada included not one, but two Young Lions (pictured above) taking home medals in the annual competition. In Design, the Gold Young Lion was awarded to Rethink’s senior motion designer Jesse Shaw and ACD Zoë Boudreau. The second, a Bronze in Media, went to Cossette Media’s business intelligence analyst Samuel David-Durocher and product development supervisor Tristan Bonnot-Parent.

Film (2 Silver, 1 Bronze)

1 SILVER: “The  Count” by FCB Toronto for SickKids Foundation

“The Count,” a striking campaign from FCB Toronto for SickKids Foundation, has earned 1 Gold, 2 Bronze and now 1 Silver for Film at Cannes. If you watch it, it’s easy to see why. The collaboration between brand and agency honoured the hospital’s “VS” platform, while steering it in a new direction from its initial development by previous AOR Cossette. The creative celebrates childhood cancer patients who have to fight for every birthday, while honouring the hospital’s own milestone – 150 years and counting.

1 Silver: “Love Captured” by Klick Health Toronto for The Exodus Road

Klick Health Toronto added to its medal tally with a Silver in Film for it’s work “Love Captured” for The Exodus Road. The creative features a romantic getaway that isn’t what it seems in an experiential short film for the global anti-trafficking organization. The experience takes viewers through a tragic and twisting experience of exploitation.

1 BRONZE: “18 Months” by Klick Health Toronto for Second Nurture

Klick Health Toronto also won a Bronze in the Film category for its work, “18 Months,” done for the charity organization Second Nurture. The animated film is based on a real-life story in which a same-sex couple adopts a baby found in a subway station, and the 18-month journey into a story of hope.

Sustainable Development Goals (1 Bronze)

1 BRONZE: “Wildfire Watchtowers” by Publicis Canada for Rogers

Publicis Canada landed on the winners board for its work, “Wildfire Watchtowers,” for Rogers. The Canadian-developed wildfire-detection tech – which has been billed as “a fire alarm in the forest” – uses AI-powered sensors installed on 5G towers to monitor vast remote areas in real time. By scanning, identifying and reporting early signs of wildfires (up to 16 minutes faster than other systems), the technology helped prevent 54 fires in 2024 alone.

Catch the Gold winners later today when they’re revealed at the gala in Cannes.