The debate on global vs. local marketing (and research) is one of these debates which have been going forever. The basic question is can you apply the same advertising/packaging/ positioning (fill in the blank) on a global basis or are there local cultural norms that require a more nuanced approach? To which the answer has been, for as long as I can remember, local culture will always trump standard globalisation. The same goes for research too - you cannot (however much you insist you can) simply apply one standard methodology worldwide to a research survey without taking local culture into account. Another old chestnut is the debate on how to rate the quality of research agencies. A better route down which to go would be to check on the agencys public credentials: does the agency subscribe to the ICC/ESOMAR Code?
It is commonly accepted that not all rating points are equal in their value to advertisers. Agencies and advertisers put increasing pressure on broadcasters to deliver particular criteria: programmes dayparts centre breaks position in break etc. Whilst the industry gives differential value to these the only mechanism to put a value on aspects of airtime quality has been that of demand. This paper outlines a new way of valuing airtime which measures one aspect of quality on a break-by-break basis and can be used to significantly improve the effectiveness of advertising.
This paper starts with a brief review of the various industry models around the world for organizing television and radio ratings research. The authors discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. Then, using Canada as the context, and BBM (Bureau of Broadcast Measurement) in particular, the authors discuss the evolution of a new structural approach to organizing ratings research - a hybrid JIC- Research Contractor model. Finally, the authors list a number of lessons learned about the use of the JIC-Research Contractor model in Canada. It is hoped that other countries can benefit from BBMs experience when considering the different options for organizing ratings research in their own country.
In television audience research in The Netherlands (and similarly in other European countries) viewing behaviour is registered by the meter on a Per second basis. A change in channels is noted from the moment a viewer watches a channel for fifteen seconds or longer. Audience behaviour during channel changes lasting less than fifteen seconds is attributed to the last channel the viewer watched for fifteen seconds or longer. As consequence, in the case of a series of quick channel changes, a delay in the registration of channel changes occurs. Assuming that relatively more switching occurs during commercial blocks than during programs, it can be expected that audience ratings for commercial blocks would benefit more from a persistence threshold than audience ratings for programmes. A study was carried out to determine the effects of a fifteen second threshold on the viewing behaviour reported, and found this threshold has no effect on audience rating for commercials. The only effect was a very small increase in the audience ratings for the ten national Dutch channels in relation to the other, foreign channels.
This research examines television programme rescheduling to maximise total ratings for one network across a week. Respondents read these re scheduled programme schedules and choose the network to watch during prime time. Only a small but informative fraction of over seven million potential programme rearrangements are selected for the experiment to get meaningful information without introducing respondent fatigue. Models are used to predict ratings as a function of the Programmes offered at a particular time. The next stage uses the models to predict ratings for all the possible programme schedules and determine which rearrangement maximises the total weekly ratings for one network. For the data used in this study, the proposed optimal television scheduling method increased the predicted total weekly ratings during prime time for one network by 24% while average channel share increased by 19%. To validate the method, comparisons between actual and predicted ratings are made for a network that actually rescheduled some of its programmes.
The authors utilized the Nielsen Quadrant Segmentation System to create audience analysis tool that evaluates television network programming strategy by day part, such that the four segmentations of the Nickelodeon audience are isolated for on-going tracking and audience duplication with other Nickelodeon day parts (and competitive programs). Custom Captation of the Nielsen system was developed in order to recognize differences between primary, secondary and tertiary programming sources. This multi-dimensional view of the Nickelodeon audience goes beyond traditional quintile based segmentations that look only at a single pension of viewing. The analysis explains how Nickelodeon set actionable goals in terms of ratings maintenance and growth for specific audience quads as well as a means to track the delivery of goals. Ratings growth and decline can be documented as to the source of the increase and decrease and specific tactics evaluated as to delivery and non- delivery. Finally, the means for targeting viewer clusters within audience quadrants through Nickelodeons Viewer Track System is demonstrated.
China, with 1.2 billion people and 300 million television households, is fast becoming one of the largest advertising markets in the world. In early 1996 China had approximately 107 different television ratings surveys and there was little hope of any single currency being adopted by the industry. A joint venture between the SOFRES Group and the Central Viewers Survey and Consulting Centre has put in place a continuous, national and single currency ratings service in sixty-two cities in China. The formation of a Joint Industry Users Committee, in operation since the inception of the service, has ensured that the service is firmly linked to clients needs.
The development of the Chilean television industry in the past years runs parallel to two important phenomena: on the one hand, changes introduced in the TV regulatory framework made it possible to introduce cable television, and on the other a Viewing Measuring System was implemented, which provides results in real time. This document intends to summarize the main elements introduced by the measuring system, which forced television channels to make some operational changes mainly related to the new role that instant ratings play in the market. First, we shall briefly describe the architecture of the ON LINE system. The data transmission solution is the outcome of special circumstances that existed in Chile during the implementation stage - 1992- when adequate telephone service coverage was not available. Secondly, we shall describe the main changes introduced by the ratings system into the television industry. This is based on a study involving in-depth interviews with several TV Channel executives linked to the ON LINE service.
The historic perception that too much wastage is generated on TV and the recent increase in fragmentation of viewing, were beginning to have deleterious effects on UK television advertising and the major commercial channel, ITV, in particular. We were asked by our sales team to produce evidence that there was a differentiation in the quality of ratings delivered both within and across channels. Three areas of our work programme are described below. All the information is derived from analysis of the current UK audience measurement system (BARB).
This paper is devided in five chapters. The first one us dedicated to the enourmous contribution of Rating TV adversiting audience, mainly through its quantifing relation. Nevertheless, we should point out that this methodology provides straithgt solutions to measure publicity impacts quality. Thesis is that all impacts are really the same regarding quantity, and that such quality can be surveyed whith the "Scanner". Following it is argued the election of post-coincidental advertising recall, as the criteria to evaluate the publicity impacts quality. In the next chapter, general and specific aims assumed by the Scanner are exposed. The objective is to be able to measure the impacts quality, by analysing as well the possible influence of a long list of variables in TV watchers presence in front of spots and in their attention paid to the advertising stimulus. The result of this performance is a practical tool to improve purchase and sale condition of the advertising spaces, to improve plannification and to measure with higher precision the campaign results. Fourth chapter revise with some detail methodological and technical characteristics of the developed research. When relating advertising rating data provided by Rating Audience (GRP's) with quality data brought by the Scanner (QRPs) it has been cretaed, in fact, one system with two complementary information sources. Fifth and last chapter expose a selection of interesting conclusions together with the back up information.
Television audience ratings are extremely important for the evaluation of television programmes, stations and commercials. It is argued that, as a result of various sample and other characteristics of the Dutch people meter panel, daily ratings of programmes may be highly unstable. The important characteristics that affect sample reliability are sample size, rating level (programme), the variables used for weighting the sample, the size of the weight factors, behavioral characteristics of the public, i.e. correlated viewing pat- terns of members within households and the way ratings are used (daily ratings, aggregated ratings or difference of ratings). Several sources of empirical data have been used: Dutch people meter ratings of programmes of one day, gross rating points aggregated per hour and per quarter and the gross rating points of two advertising campaigns. Examples are given of separate and simultaneous effects on the reliability of ratings of several target groups. It is found that sample stratification gives only a slight improvement of the reliability, because the stratification variables have a low correlation with individual viewing patterns. Correlated viewing patterns in households decrease reliability dramatically. The combined results show that daily ratings of most programmes lack the needed reliability for evaluation. This is even more the case when small target groups are considered. The summed or aggregated GRPs of large advertising campaigns comprise many measurements and even though they are measured in a panel, they are much more reliable. Specific examples of the reliability of programme ratings and advertising campaigns are given. One with highly stable ratings, the other with less stable ratings. Differences of ratings of a panel are much more reliable than sum scores. Difference scores are not used extensively, though.
Television research is increasingly dominated by a need to predict ratings accurately. Prognoses of future ratings are of crucial importance for media planners producing or scheduling programmes, and selling or buying commercial time. Forecasts are made by advertising sales houses and media buyers by means of a combination of instinct, experience, luck and elaborate models. To assist anyone forecasting ratings in the Netherlands, Intomart developed an entirely automated model to predict television ratings. Each month this model computes forecasts for all programmes on the five main channels for 17 target groups. These forecasts are calculated within a single day using new programme schedules and historical databases with, as input, people meter data. After a pilot phase, the system became fully operational as of October 1992 exclusively for the media buying organization Initiative Media. Since then, the model has been developed further in co-operation with Initiative Media who provided valuable support as well as stimulating criticism. Since April 1994 this forecasting model is also available to other operators in the industry. This paper will explain the theoretical background and technical aspects of the main determinants of this model. Additionally, the results will be evaluated in terms of accuracy and practical value for the industry.