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Gaining the backing of one of the world's biggest retailers has been greeted as a major boost for the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, which goes live in November with the study.

Tesco runs its own in-store TV operation and a string of other media services, potentially bringing a more consumer-facing side to Touchpoints than any of the other high-powered members, even though they include heavyweights such as ITV, News International and the BBC.

Famously on the receiving end of one in every eight pounds spent in the UK, the retail giant has become a powerful media owner in its own right, with ventures such as Tesco TV.

IPA research director Lynne Robinson said: "With people like the BBC, ITV and News International, we've already got huge media owners on board, but Tesco is very interesting.

"Between Tesco TV, Tesco magazines and Tesco online, it has become the stereotypical media owner."

Jim Marshall, chairman of the IPA's Media Futures group, said: "It's pretty progressive and quite visionary for Tesco to be part of this and it's because it recognises it is becoming a media owner."

A Tesco spokesman said: "We know supermarket media is relevant to our customers and look for lots of different ways which will help us understand what customers like and dislike.

"We hope this report will go some way to providing more information that will help both brands, advertisers and customers alike."

Other media owners are also in discussions with the IPA.

Touchpoints is designed as a consumer-centric survey, to fill the "missing link" between the various currencies used in different types of media, from Barb's meters to Rajar's diary system.

Many in the media industry regard it as crucial for the future credibility of the media industry, providing much-needed accountability and a way to bring into harmony the various competing media currencies.

TNS-global Ltd is running the so-called "hub survey", based on a panel of 5,000 people, and will begin collecting raw data via PDA diaries in November RSMB Television Research Ltd will begin integrating the data with the range of media currencies, as from December, with the first report due out in the spring.

The IPA has developed the Touchpoints survey as a joint initiative with 11 of the top 15 media agencies founding partners.

It has also signed up media owners including ITV; BBC; News International; The Guardian; JCDecaux; SMG Group; Chrysalis Radio; AOL and Wanadoo.