The multimedia habits of the modern consumer - from watching TV to sending text messages - could be demystified with the launch of a ground-breaking, advertising campaign planning tool from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising.
Until now, advertisers and their media agencies have had to rely on separate audience measurement tools - such as Barb and Rajar - that don't take into account that consumers are often using multiple media simultaneously and in different ways.
"Before, all the standard industry measurement tools have been limited to individual media, such as TV or radio - this new tool pulls them all together," said Jim Marshall, the chairman of the Media Futures Group at the IPA.
"Consumers now have total control over their media consumption and we need to understand that better and how different types of media work together."
It is common for consumers to watch TV, use the internet and send a few text messages at the same time.
How these new habits interact, and what it means for advertising, is not taken into account by single-media measurement tools.
Called the Touchpoints integrated planning database, the new tool has taken almost three years and more than £1m to develop.
It has been backed by the ad industry and media companies including ITV, News International, Chrysalis Radio and the Guardian.
There are now 40 sponsors of the project but not everyone is convinced. Those who remain outside include Channel 4 and Associated Newspapers.
The tool - for use by media planning and buying agencies to develop campaigns for clients - attempts to fuse information from standard media measurement tools with new media.
"This will allow us to develop real, totally integrated media planning for client campaigns for the first time," said Mr Marshall.
The project leaders said they had faced a big problem because there was no recognised, industry-wide measurement system for internet use.
The new tool brings together six established measurement currencies. Barb (television), Rajar (radio) NRS (print readership), Jicreg (regional press), Postar (outdoor) and Caviar (cinema).
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