Bringing the quantitative accountability of online ads to the print world may be a lofty goal, but it's what Starch has set out to do, reports The New York Times.

The newly introduced eStarch Ad Readership product uses a variety of techniques, including surveys and interviews, to tie ad exposure to consumer behavior. That includes surveys of people who have read the pubs in which the ads appeared.

It's not only the reader's own behavior that's being probed but how they pass on their opinions to others.

Starch is launching the service to help ad buyers determine the return on their investment, something that's been notoriously tricky to do in the print medium. Increased knowledge could help target ads more effectively.

Indeed, increased targeting is exactly what online offers. If print publishers can replicate that quality even slightly, it could stem the tide of ad dollars flowing to the 'net - a win for ink on paper to a large extent.