Abstract:

During the past decade, electronic measurement has clearly demonstrated its ability to satisfy the growing information needs of the advertising industry in the United States. The growing array of innovative electronic consumer data collection devices including meters, people meters, in- store scanners and in-home scanners have provided researchers with the tools needed to replace the tedious pen and pencil methods of gathering information directly from consumers. The users of research services have enthusiastically approved this revolutionary change as evidenced by their substantial financial commitments to electronic measurement services. The most promising application area for electronic consumer measurement have been given the name "single source" which means that multiple sets of behavioral data are being collected from individual consumer households. This paper describes the need which single source intends to satisfy and introduces an entirely new single source system which promises to advance the frontier for high utility electronic consumer panel applications