BIG DATA TECHNOLOGIES IN RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS OF DIGITAL MEDIA AUDIENCE
The aim of the study was to determine the media experts’ attitude towards the single measurement system creation and data alliance formation, and towards the development of the common measurement methods for digital media audience analysis using the Big Data technologies. As part of the study, 10 semi-structured expert interviews were conducted with specialists who works with audience data or engaged in the data collection. In particular, the sample included representatives of such companies as Mail.ru, Russia Today, Transparency International-R and others. This work helped to reveal the contradiction between the interest in standardizing audience currencies for data exchange and a number of serious external factors affecting the impossibility of exchange implementation at this stage of market development. One of the main barriers to creating a single measurement system and sharing information is the financial disinterest of major players and concerns about competitive advantage. A separate vector for discussion is the issue of ethics regarding the collection of user data. Expectations from the Big Data technologies are controversial: some experts believe that the introduction of new measurement methods will greatly simplify the company’s operations, while others state that these technologies are overestimated and will not significantly affect audience measurement methods.