This paper examines to what extent different instruments and/or methods of advertising-impact research describe radio's specific contribution to the effectiveness and efficiency of combined radio and TV campaigns in a comparable way. A total of eight combined radio and TV campaigns relating to beer products were analysed. Three different instruments and/or methods to determine the advertising impact of radio (and TV) were used: the (more or less) classical survey covering the well-known advertising-impact indicators, such as advertising awareness and brand awareness; sales analyses based on measured purchases and measured TV and (surveyed) radio consumption within a Single Source Panel; and an econometric model based exclusively on market data. The positive results, which tend to be very similar, should strengthen confidence both in the instruments used and in the effectiveness of radio advertising.
The use of diaries as the single and unique source for radio audience measurement is perhaps the most used method all over the world. But it is expensive and affected by huge bias. How can bias be reduced and money saved? This paper presents research and experiments conducted in Belgium before launching a new Radio audience measurement study.
The portable people meter (PPM) is a promising new media research tool that makes it possible to automatically track consumers? exposure to the electronic media. An inaudible code is inserted into the audio signal of radio, broadcast and cable television channels, Internet streaming sites, and other media outlets. These codes are then passively recorded by pager-sized personal meters worn by respondents. Media exposures captured by the PPM are collected overnight when panelists "dock" their meters at bedtime. After nearly a decade of research and development, Arbitron Inc. has launched the first full-scale market trial of the PPM system in Philadelphia. Approximately 80 media outlets are encoding their signals and a panel of 1,500 consumers age 6+ are equipped with the portable meters. Channel-specific ratings for radio, broadcast and cable TV are being reported for the first time so customers can evaluate the PPM results against existing ratings methods. Assuming adequate client support, Arbitron plans to convert the Philadelphia panel to commercial operation early in 2003, and begin the rollout to additional U.S. markets.
Portable People Meter measurement captures 'real' radio cume build, rather than current estimates based on weeklong diary surveys, modeled over multiple weeks. Early PPM results in the Philadelphia (US) market confirm previous benchmark industry studies. Decades-old research indicated that 'real' multi-week reach was roughly twice that of single-week modeled data. PPM cumes for 34 stations averaged over 200% higher than modeled diary curves. The vast majority of the PPM "gain" occurred over the first week of measurement rather than spread equally over successive weeks. Enormous station-to-station variation in the PPM cume build contribution, both overall and within format groupings, existed. First results indicate that broad-target music formats (e.g. Classic Rock) gain more cume build than narrower targeted formats such as Talk Radio and Urban Contemporary Music. Although too early for actionable recommendations, results imply that current reach and frequency models are overly general and conservative. If the industry accepts PPM measurement and PPM expands to larger samples and more markets, this method will provide a solid basis for correcting current industry models.
Switzerland is the first and as of now only country in which the population's radio listening is not established by interviews but electronically. Radiocontrol (RC) has been delivering official radio data since January 2001. This paper looks back in retrospect at the last 'measuring' year full of discoveries, surprises and events. After one year of operating the panel and system, first conclusions can be drawn with respect to the rotating panel and the reliability of the system can be evaluated. Acceptance in the market is of course another measuring hallmark. The data analysis in this first year of operation shows familiar findings with more precision and allows the discovery of new and surprising details.In addition, the autumn months showed clearly that the up-to-date medium was appreciated and used. Finally, the key findings in Switzerland can be compared to the first experiences with field tests in other countries.
One difficulty in accurately predicting the media future through research is that most studies are conducted on the general population. It is well known that older generations are less willing to accept change and are least affected by it. We can better understand the future of media and technology if we understand the motivations, attitudes and behaviour of today's youth vs. previous generations of youth. This paper speculates on the future of both established and newer media based on the findings of Snapshots of Youth - a qualitative, global study conducted by MindShare and designed to understand the lives of opinion-forming late teens.
This paper describes the development of a new research method that defines the qualitative processing of radio ads in quantitative terms. The authors conducted the research to learn more about how ads are processed by the audience, in addition to the knowledge on general campaign effectiveness of radio already available. By looking into the qualitative dimensions of radio advertisements, it is now possible to advise advertisers on the specific communication for their brand, and at the same time obtain more general learnings on the processing and effectiveness of radio advertisements.
The use of the 'recall' methodology for radio audience measurement is widely adopted for good quality results and positive cost-benefit relationship. Nevertheless, although very effective for the evaluation of the station's performance, it presents important limitations for planning advertising for this medium as it does not allow the simulation of campaign results (reach, frequency and frequency distribution).Research using 'panel' methodology is an effective alternative, but with high implementation and maintenance costs, considering the necessary sample size to represent a very fragmented behavior. This paper delves into a creative alternative for the use of fusion algorithms to build a virtual panel from a group of individual respondents using a 'recall' survey.This proposal allows the joining of the advantages of the recall research (practicality and low cost) with the benefits of the 'panel' survey (possibility of campaign simulations), preserving the quality of the results.