In an effort to give publishers and advertisers a better read on how their campaigns are performing, comScore and Omniture are partnering to offer a new service that combines panel- and traffic-based data. In a research note, William Blair told clients that the deal is definitely beneficial for comScore (NSDQ: SCOR), as it represents a “low-cost way” for the company to grow the customer base for its relatively new MediaMetrix 360 product (which tracks data from websites as well as ads themselves).

The launch comes amid a flurry of developments in the audience and traffic measurement space, as companies small and big compete to turn advertising into more of a science. This presents new challenges for Nielsen, which by most accounts is the market leader in terms of brand, reach and likely revenues, as the options for advertisers and publishers that want to track, quantify, and ultimately monetize their audiences continue to expand.

Most recently, 14 media companies, including CBS and Disney, have joined to create CIMM, their own cross-platform measurement initiative; there was the merger between online radio metrics and ad providers Ando Media and Spacial Audio; TiVo’s deal to offer hybrid TV and web ad effectiveness tracking with Quantcast, as well as Adobe’s $1.8 billion bid for Omniture (NSDQ: OMTR). Release.

• Adobe And Omniture On Merger’s Rationale: Joining Content Creation, Distribution And Tracking
• Major Media Companies Form Measurement Initiative; ‘Not An Attempt To Replace Nielsen’
• TiVo, Quantcast To Offer Viewing Data Based On TV And Web