• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, May 17, 2016

Calling it a complicated process, Julian Zilberbrand, Viacom EVP of Audience Science, said numerous challenges face the ability to measure and distribute cross-device programmatic video. He suggested the industry needs to work on building new standards.

Complicated because companies with multiple brands and potentially different taxonomies need to organize processes that come together, rather than remain in disparate silos, Zilberbrand said during a one-on-one discussion with Real-Time Daily editor Tobi Elkin.

The two sat down at OMMA Programmatic Tuesday in New York to discuss how the media and entertainment giant leverages the power of data to fuel growth and innovation across sales and marketing.

Zilberbrand said it will require companies like comScore and Nielsen to build and improve the ability for their tools to measure across devices "effectively." These companies are either just now building or will release cross-device tools to measure programmatic video content within the next year.

Once the tools are built and in the market, these tools must take time to mature, Zilberbrand said, which means the methodology needs to come into check with the proxies and accreditation through the MRC, for example.

All the networks will need to go through this process individually, but standards will need to be created and accredited. The MRC with work with the IAB, NAB, 4As to accredit a standard set by a governing body.

"Those standards are still being talked about and structured," he said. "Even buying that way, when you do cross-media buying as a marketer, that's not apples to apples because DOD isn't measured like digital and OTT still missed a few things. … Digital is digital."

It's complicated because of the numerous ways content gets consumed, he said.