Stats Snapshot: Counting Unique Users

 

According to a new report by MediaMind, conventional audience measurement metrics that do not adjust for user cookie deletion overestimate the number of unique users by up to threefold. MediaMind’s method of measurement, the adjusted unique, divides the number of total impressions by the average frequency of cookie deletion. The study was based on 26 billion impressions served in the U.S. and Europe from January to December 2010.

Other key findings include;
U.S. advertisers need 50 million impressions to reach five million users, and 200 million impressions to reach 18 million users.
Americans and Canadians delete cookies more than Europeans.
The English spend more time with rich media ads than any other group surveyed, an average of 60 seconds.

More in Media

Digiday Publishing Summit September 2026 Recap: How publishers are rebuilding for the post-search era

Execs at DPS described how they’re preparing for a post-search era by prioritizing direct audiences, diversified revenue and AI strategies.

From brand deals to equity deals: creators want a stake, not just a fee

The creator economy is moving into a new phase: creators getting into companies at the ground floor through sweat equity or angel investing.

Media Briefing: Publishers question whether personalization actually pays off

Publishers are personalizing newsletters to get more value from readers, but questions remain over whether it’s a meaningful differentiator.