Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category

What You Need to Know about Nielsen’s Digital Program Ratings

Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

TV old 3

Nielsen made an announcement yesterday that they are rolling out a pilot program this month for Nielsen Digital Program Ratings.  We read Nielsen’s Press Release, along with this Wall Street Journal article, and put just the facts that we think you need to know in a blog post for an express-read.

What is Nielsen’s Digital Program Ratings?  Nielsen’s Digital Program Ratings is a tool that will measure online content viewing of TV shows.

Why are they rolling out a system for measuring online content?  The reason behind this new system is to track digital audiences and offer a holistic view of the online and TV audience for both programming content and ad campaigns.

Media companies have been putting pressure on Nielsen to create a system that tracks how content is viewed on any and every device (computers, phones, and tablets).  The online viewing of TV shows is growing rapidly but networks are not getting any credit for it with advertisers, so Nielsen is trying to change that and this is the first step in that direction.

How will the pilot program work?  A few networks will use the program to track viewership of their shows viewed from their own websites, and then they will compare their internal data with Nielsen’s data.  The way I read it, they want to compare the two sets of data to figure out a comfortable and proven formula before establishing the system further.

The program will provide web-oriented metrics like unique audience, stream counts, and reach by age and gender.

What are the networks participating in the pilot program?  The networks are NBC, FOX, ABC, Univision, Discovery Communications, and A&E.

What is the timeline for Nielsen’s Digital Program Ratings?  The pilot program runs from May through July.  The commercial release is targeted for later this year and will include weighting of video and reporting of TV comparable ratings.

What are the challenges they face right now?  First, the technology cannot yet provide viewership data in the traditional ratings format of the TV industry.  Second, there is not a good way to gauge how long the viewer has watched the TV show.

What You Need to Know About ‘Zero TV HH’

Friday, April 26th, 2013

cutting cord

 

Nielsen is keeping a close eye on the viewing habits of one audience group that is changing the way of the world, the Zero TV Households.   This is the audience measurement category that represents the growing number of households that no longer receive TV programming via a traditional TV platform or cable subscription.  This is the start of another big movement in technology.  Just like the type writer, newspaper, Blockbuster Video, and book store chains, industry experts are saying that the TV as we know it will someday become the next dinosaur industry thanks to this growing group of “Non-Traditionalist Viewers”.  Below are some things you need to know about this audience for now.

Who are they?

They watch their favorite TV shows on the Internet (via their cell phones, laptops, and tablets) and no longer fully subscribe to a cable subscriptions.  Some also substitute online video subscriptions for traditional TV viewing.  According to Nielsen, Zero TV Households are mostly young, single, and without children.  You may hear them being called by other names, like Zero TVers , Non-Traditionalist Viewers, Cord-Cutters,  Cord-Shavers, and Cord-Nevers.

- Cord-Cutters cut the cord completely and no longer watch TV in the traditional sense.

-Cord-Shavers cut certain networks off their subscription and watch that programming online.

- Cord-Nevers never subscribed to cable to begin with, like how most people are today with phone landlines.

How does this affect the Advertising and Entertainment industries?

With the establishment of DVRs, viewers were allowed to sidestep their network programming schedules by time-shifting their shows and skipping commercials.  As a result, the advertising industry had to develop a new formula for calculating ratings, i.e. Live Plus.  Now, with viewers breaking free from their programming schedules, the industry will have to adapt to another new method of audience measurement.   According to this article in Time Tech, in 3rd quarter of this year, Nielsen plans to incorporate Zero TV Households into the formula to calculate ratings so they can measure content wherever it is seen.  That sounds like a smart plan because according to Motley Fool, 83% of viewers 18-29 watch most or all TV shows online.

Local broadcast stations and cable and satellite providers need to adapt to this movement as well.  Broadcast stations only get paid for relaying programming on the traditional TV platform so they will need to modernize their individual platforms, which would mean making programming, like local news shows, available on all devices, like tablets, phones, and laptops.

Motley Fool, a multimedia financial services company, recently put out a video on this topic.  They are predicting that the big cable companies will lose $2.2 trillion from Zero TVers dropping their cable subscriptions.  And SNL Kagan reports that cable subscribers are now only 84.7% of all households, down from 87.3% in 2010.

What about the Networks and TV Shows? Does it affect them?

The networks and TV shows themselves seem to be doing okay as they earn money off Zero TVers through online video providers and from selling advertising on their own websites and apps.

Will Zero TVers cross back over?

Nielsen is also trying to determine whether or not they will come back over to their old ways but the article mentions a study that suggests they may have broken free for good.  The population of Zero TVers is rapidly growing.  Nielsen reports there are 5 million of these households now in the U.S., up from 2 million in 2007.  There have been 425,000 just in the past three months, according to the Motley Fool video.  They also reported that 58% of Americans say they no longer need their TV subscriptions at all.  Most TV shows can now be watched online, including live sports like Sunday Night Football and March Madness games.  Additionally, there are gadgets that can pull TV shows directly from the internet and onto your TV set, like Play Station, X Box, and Aereo (so don’t get rid of your TV set just yet if you’re thinking about cutting the cord).

What are some of the theories behind Zero TVers?

Some people may agree with some of the existing theories out there about Zero TVers.  One theory is that it is a phase that goes with the lifestyle of being a young, single adult and that we will start to see viewing habits change as people go through different stages of their lives, i.e. going from being on the run, to working and traveling, to settling down with a family.  Another theory is that it is a reflection of our culture, which is getting something the instant you decide you want it.  An obvious theory would relate to saving money but it seems like money is not the main deciding factor for these viewers; but not having these cable bills is just icing on the cake.

(Sources: Time Tech: Broadcasters Worry About Zero TV Homes and Motley Fool: The $2.2 Trillion War for Your Living Room Begins Now)

Answering the $980 Million Question: Infographic

Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013

In 2012, Mitt Romney lost New Hampshire, Ohio, Florida and Virginia by 429,000 votes collectively for a total of 64 electoral votes.  Had the Romney campaign been able to persuade half of the 429,000 voters in these swing states, he would have garnered 270 electoral votes and would be sitting in the Oval Office today.

 

4 States, 429,000 Votes

Another Doggone TV Channel

Thursday, April 11th, 2013

dog tv

As a company that buys media on behalf of our clients, we need to be knowledgeable of all the established channels out there and quickly get familiar with the new channels being added to the mix.  DogTV is the latest channel that is causing a great deal of buzz.  They do not sell advertising space (yet) but we’re still curious as to what it is exactly.  We have attached some links to several articles we have read on the topic.   Or, you can just read below the links for our own short summation.

AdAge
UK Daily Mail
Huffington Post

What is DogTV?

  • DogTV is cable’s first network for dogs available on DirecTV’s satellite service.
  • DogTV’s launch date is set for Summer 2013.
  • DogTV is a $4.99-$5.99-a-month subscription based premium channel.
  • The “programming” is designed to comfort, entertain, and stimulate dogs when left home alone.
  • Programming includes muted colors and altered sounds created to impact dog’s unique senses.

Weird Facts:

  • The trial run in San Diego was successful.  In San Diego, DogTV has one million subscribers with two cable companies.
  • No commercial breaks…
  • No ratings…
  • Creators hope that one day dogs will be able to sniff/smell DogTV????


We still do not know what to make of this, but we do not need to put anymore time into this matter until advertising opportunities become available.  And no, I do not think we would actually consider recommending DogTV to any of our clients.   Besides, according to Garth Stein’s book The Art of Racing in the Rain, dogs prefer The Speed Channel.

 

Rentrak versus Nielsen: Part Two

Thursday, April 11th, 2013

After we posted a blog last month comparing Nielsen with Rentrak, Rentrak reached out to us and sent us some updated information on their company.  Below are some of the items we pulled from the fact sheet they sent.  They should help to add some clarity on what Rentrak is.

  • Rentrak does collect demographic data – age, gender, income, political party, and education.  The demographic data is matched at the household level of what is being watched on TV.  No research company is able to say who exactly in the household is sitting in front of the TV.
  • Rentrak does not just collect data from satellite homes anymore.  In addition to AT&T and Charter homes, they collect data from Cable and Telco homes.  Additionally, they use a model that is based on research on market behaviors obtained by third parties, like Simmons, to estimate OTA (Over the Air) viewership.
  • In the original article, we say Rentrak acquired a local TV measurement service, but acquired should be changed to built.   Rentrak built the measurement service from the ground up and now has 200+ TV stations as clients.
  • In the original article, we called Rentrak’s model “passive participation” but it doesn’t hurt to reiterate this.  Rentrak measures viewing behaviors of people who are simply watching TV in their homes.  The only action the viewer takes to be counted is turning on their TV.  They do not compensate the viewers they measure, they do not coach them, and they don’t have to remind them to fill out a diary or push a button.
  • Rentrak’s national measurement footprint is now 11,500,000 households, or over 30,000,000 TVs.  Nielsen has 30,000 households nationally.
  • Rentrak says the reason they report higher viewership levels is because they count multiple TV’s if they are tuned into the same program, Nielsen does not.  And, like we said before, Rentrak measures far more cable channels than Nielsen, resulting higher viewing levels.

Answering the $980 Million Question: 4 States; 429,000 Votes – Ohio

Friday, April 5th, 2013

OHIO

Consider this: Mitt Romney loses New Hampshire, Ohio, Florida and Virginia by 429,000 votes collectively for a total of 64 electoral votes.  Three of the four swing states have Republican Governors with the exception of New Hampshire.  Had the Romney campaign been able to persuade half of the 429,000 voters mentioned above, he would have garnered 270 electoral votes and would be sitting in the Oval Office today.

In 2012, Obama defeated Romney by 3 points in Ohio (51% to 48%). Romney lost Ohio by only 166,272 votes.  In 2008, Obama defeated McCain by 5 points in Ohio (52% to 47%). McCain lost Ohio by 262,224 votes.

KEY COUNTIES

  • Obama won 8 of the top 9 counties in the state by an average margin of 17 points.  These 8 key counties (Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Summit, Montgomery, Lucas, Stark and Lorain County) make up 48% of the total statewide vote.
  • Romney won only 1 of the top 9 counties in the state by a margin of 25 points.  Butler County makes up 3.1% of the total statewide vote.
  • Obama garnered 51% of the statewide vote by winning only 18 counties in Ohio.  These 18 counties were either urban or suburban population centers outside of the state’s major cities (including Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo and Youngstown).  Romney won the remaining 70 counties in the more rural areas of Ohio.
  • Where did Romney need to improve his vote performance in order to claim victory in Ohio?  We have boiled it down to 9 counties.

NARROW-THE-GAP COUNTIES

  • Cuyahoga County (11.5% of statewide vote, Cleveland market): Romney loses Cuyahoga County by 40 points.  Had Romney reduced his margin of loss down to 30 points, he would have gained 30,000 more votes.  Republican Governor John Kasich lost this county by 25 points in 2010 and won the election.
  • Franklin County (10.2% of statewide vote, Columbus market): Romney loses Franklin County by 23 points.  Had Romney reduced his margin of loss down to 16 points, he would have gained 20,000 more votes.  Governor John Kasich lost this county by 9 points in 2010.
  • Hamilton County (7.5% of statewide vote, Cincinnati market): Romney loses Hamilton County by 6 points.  Had Romney reduced his margin of loss down to 2 points, he would have gained 10,000 more votes.  Governor Kasich actually won Hamilton County by 4 points in 2010.
  • Summit County (4.8% of statewide vote, Cleveland market): Romney loses Summit County by 16 points.  Had Romney reduced his margin of loss down to 8 points, he would have gained 10,000 more votes.  Governor John Kasich lost this county by 8 points in 2010.
  • Montgomery County (4.8% of statewide vote, Dayton market): Romney loses Montgomery County by 5 points.  Had he reduced his margin of loss down to 1 point, he would have gained 5,000 more votes.  Governor Kasich lost Montgomery County by only 161 votes in 2010.
  • Lucas County (3.8% of statewide vote, Toledo market): Romney loses Lucas County by 32 points.  Had he reduced his margin of loss down to 27 points, he would have gained 5,000 more votes.  Governor Kasich lost Lucas County by 25 points in 2010.
  • Lorain County (2.6% of statewide vote, Cleveland market): Romney loses Lorain County by 15 points.  Had he reduced his margin of loss down to 10 points, he would have gained 4,000 more votes.  Governor Kasich lost Lucas County by 7 points in 2010.

MUST-WIN COUNTIES

  • Stark County (3.3% of statewide vote, Cleveland market): Romney loses Stark County by only 851 votes.  Had he won the county by 4 points he would have gained 4,000 more votes.  Governor Kasich won Stark County by 4 points in 2010.
  • Butler County (3.1% of statewide vote, Cincinnati market): Romney won Butler County by 25 points.  Had he improved his margin of victory by another 6 points up to 31 points, he would have gained 5,000 more votes.  Governor Kasich won Butler County by 29 points in 2010

Romney needed to shift the overall statewide vote by 3 points (or 93,000 votes) in order to win Ohio.

OH counties

The $980 million Question: 4 States; 429,000 Votes – Florida

Thursday, March 28th, 2013

In 2012, Romney lost Florida by only 74,309 votes.  Obama received 50% of the 8.4 million votes cast in Florida for the 2012 Presidential Election, defeating Romney by only 0.9 points.

What counties could have swung Florida’s 29 electoral votes towards Romney?

KEY COUNTY: MIAMI-DADE

In 2012, Miami-Dade County accounted for 10.4% of the total statewide vote in the Presidential Election, making it the single largest county in the state.  Obama won Miami-Dade by 24 points (62% to 38%) in 2012.  Had Romney performed the same in Miami-Dade as President Bush in 2004 and reduced his margin of loss down to 7 points, he would have gained 75,000 more votes and won the election in Florida.

Hispanics make up 54% of all registered voters in Miami-Dade.  In fact, the Hispanic registered voters in Miami-Dade County alone account for 6% of the entire statewide voting population.  Overall, Hispanics make up 14% of Florida’s Registered Voters.

Historically, Republican candidates who have won statewide office have lost Miami-Dade County by an average of 9 points.  In 2010, Senator Marco Rubio was the first Republican to win this county since Senator Mel Martinez won Miami-Dade by 0.2 points (or 1,385 votes) in 2004.

  •  In 2012, President Obama won Miami-Dade County by 24 points.
  • In 2012, Democratic Senator Bill Nelson won Miami-Dade County by 28 points.
  • In 2010, Republican Senator Marco Rubio won Miami-Dade County by 20 points.
  • In 2010, Republican Governor Rick Scott lost Miami-Dade County to Democrat Alex Sink by 14 points, but still won the state by 1.2 points overall
  • In 2008, President Obama won Miami-Dade County by 16 points.

 HISPANIC MEDIA IN FLORIDA

  • According to CNN Exit Polls, 60% of Hispanics in Florida voted for Obama in 2012. Obama received 61% of the vote from Hispanic women and 58% of the vote from Hispanic men.
  • It is worth noting the timing and the different Hispanic media strategies employed by Team Obama and Team Romney.  Obama went up early April 2012 and never came down.  Romney went up in July 2012 and never came down.
  • Both campaigns spent almost the same amount of money, however, according to public file analysis, Obama ran more the twice the amount of frequency when compared to Romney:  Obama spent $1.5 million and aired 13,000 spots on Hispanic media in Miami alone.  Romney spent $1.3 million and aired 7,500 spots on Hispanic media in Miami alone.
  • Obama spent a grand total of $5 million in Florida on Hispanic media.  Romney spent a grand total of $3.4 million in Florida on Hispanic media.
  • Obama uploaded at least 13 different Hispanic ads to his YouTube page during the election.  Romney uploaded at least 8 different Hispanic ads to his YouTube page during the election.

NARROW-THE-GAP COUNTIES

Instead of gaining 75,000 more votes in Miami-Dade County alone, we looked at three other counties in which Romney could have improved his margins in order to win Florida:

  • Miami-Dade County (10.4% of statewide vote, Miami market): Romney loses Miami-Dade County by 24 points.  Had he reduced his margin of loss down to 15 points, he would have gained 40,000 more votes.  In 2010, Governor Rick Scott lost Miami-Dade County by 14 points and won the election. In 2008, McCain lost Miami-Dade County by 16 points.
  • Broward County (8.9% of statewide vote, Miami market): Romney loses Broward County by 35 points.  Had he reduced his loss to 32 points, he would have gained 10,000 more votes.  In 2010, Governor Rick Scott lost Broward County by 31 points.
  • Hillsborough County (6.4% of statewide vote, Tampa Market): Romney loses Hillsborough County by 7 points.  Had he reduced his margin of loss to 3 points, he would have gained 10,000 more votes.  In 2010, Governor Rick Scott lost Hillsborough County by 3 points.
  • Orange County (5.5% of statewide vote, Orlando Market):  Romney loses Orange County by 18 points.  Had he reduced his loss to 12 points, he would have gained 15,000 more votes.  In 2010, Governor Rick Scott lost Orange County by 11 points.

Had Romney improved his vote percentage by 5 points on average in the 4 counties listed above, he would have gained 75,000 more votes and won the election in Florida.

FL 4 narrow the gaps

Answering the $980 Million Question: 4 States; 429,000 Votes – Virginia

Friday, March 22nd, 2013

VIRGINIA

Consider this: Mitt Romney loses New Hampshire, Ohio, Florida and Virginia by 429,000 votes collectively for a total of 62 electoral votes.  Three of the four swing states have Republican Governors with the exception of New Hampshire.  Had the Romney campaign been able to persuade half of the 429,000 voters mentioned above, he would have garnered 270 electoral voters and would be sitting in the Oval Office today.

This blog series will take a look at VA, OH, FL and NH and consider which counties Romney could have focused on in order to win in the Electoral College.  We are interested in uncovering where the key geographic counties are in each of the swing states.

VIRGINIA: 12 KEY COUNTIES

In 2012, Romney lost Virginia by 149,298 votes and needed only 75,000 votes to win the Commonwealth. Where did Romney need to improve his vote performance in order to claim victory in the Old Dominion?  We have boiled it down to 12 counties:

NARROW-THE-GAP COUNTIES

  • Fairfax County (13.7% statewide vote; Washington DC Market) Romney loses Fairfax by 20 points.  Had he reduced his loss to 17 points he would have gained 10,000 more votes.  In 2009 McDonnell gets 51% of the vote in Fairfax and beats Deeds by 2 points.
  • Arlington County (3.1% statewide vote; Washington DC Media Market) Romney loses Arlington County by 40 points.  McDonnell lost it by 31 points in 2009.  Had Romney garnered just 0.9% more of the vote in Arlington he would have picked up 1,000 more votes.
  • Richmond (2.5% statewide vote; Richmond Media Market) Romney loses Richmond by 57 points.  In our model we leave this county untouched.  McDonnell lost Richmond by 39 points in 2009.
  • Norfolk (2.3% statewide vote; Norfolk Media Market) Romney loses Norfolk by 45 points.  Had Romney reduced his loss to 43 points he would have gained 1,000 more votes.  McDonnell lost Norfolk County by 20 points.
  • Newport News (2.1% statewide vote; Norfolk Media Market) Romney loses Newport News by 30 points.  Had he reduced his loss to 25 points he would have gained 2,000 more votes.  McDonnell split the vote in Newport News 50/50 with Creigh Deeds in 2009.
  • Alexandria City (1.9% statewide vote; Washington DC Market) Romney loses Alexandria City by 44 points.  Had he reduced his margin by 41 points he would have gained 1,000 more votes.  McDonnell lost Alexandria City by 26 points.

Had Romney improved his vote percentage by 1.3 points on average in the 6 counties/cities listed above he would have gained 15,000 more votes.  That leaves Romney with 60,000 more votes needed to win the Old Dominion.

MUST WIN SWING COUNTIES

  • Prince William (4.7% statewide vote; Washington, DC market): Romney loses Prince William by 16 points.  Had he won the county by 8.9 points he would have gained 16,000 more votes.  McDonnell won Prince William by 18 points in 2009.
  • Loudon (4.2% statewide vote; Washington, DC Market): Romney loses Loudon by only 4 points. Had he won the county by 9.4 points we would have gained 15,000 more votes.  McDonnell won London by 22 points in 2009.
  • Henrico (4.2% of statewide vote; Richmond Market): Romney loses Henrico by 12 points.  Had he won by county by 8 points he would have gained 13,000 more votes.  McDonnell won Henrico by 13 points in 2009.
  • Chesapeake (2.9% statewide vote; Norfolk Market): Romney loses Chesapeake by 1 point.  Had he won the county by 9.1 points he would have gained 10,000 more votes.  McDonnell won Chesapeake by 21 points in 2009.

Had Romney won these four counties by an average margin of 8.8 points he would have gained 54,000 more votes.  That leaves Romney with 6,000 more votes needed to win Virginia.

IMPROVE-THE-GAP COUNTIES

  • Virginia Beach (5.1% of statewide vote; Norfolk Market): Romney won Virginia Beach by 3 points.  Had he increased his margin of victory by 1.5 points he would have gained an additional 3,000 votes.  McDonnell won Virginia Beach by 28 points in 2009.
  • Chesterfield (4.4% of statewide vote; Richmond Market): Romney won Chesterfield by 8 points.  Had he increased his margin of victory by 1.8 points he would have gained an additional 3,000 votes.  McDonnell won Chesterfield by 33 points in 2009.

Had Romney improved his margin by an average of 1.6 points he would have gained 6,000 more votes needed to win the Commonwealth.

CONCLUSION

Romney needed to shift the overall statewide vote by 2 points (or 75,000 votes) in order to win Virginia.

va counties top 12

Rentrak versus Nielsen: It’s not a political race but it has our attention.

Tuesday, March 19th, 2013

tv new

Nielsen is the leading global information and measurement company that birthed market research, “Nielsen ratings”, the “people meter”, and the concept of “market share”; Rentrak is Nielsen’s greatest and latest competitor. One thing on an advertiser’s mind today is, should we be considering trading in Nielsen’s services for Rentrak’s?

Nielsen’s story…

people meter

Nielsen was founded in 1923 by Arthur C. Nielsen, and his vision for his company was selling engineering performance surveys. Eight years later, Nielsen acquired the Audimeter, the device that told what radio stations listeners had tuned into during the day. Four years later, the national radio rating service was born. And now, Nielsen has been measuring both radio and television consumption since the dawn of TV. The Nielsen audience measuring system we use today works like this: devices attached to the TV record what is being watched, and in smaller sample homes, viewers fill out a diary of what they watch on TV. This data from the device and diaries allows for estimating the number of Americans watching TV as well as the demographic make-up of the audience.

Rentrak’s story…

images

Rentrak was founded in 1977 by Ron Berger, but his company started as a national video chain called National Video. His vision for National Video was to provide a system to allow studios and retailers to lease movie titles, or “rent movies”, rather than purchasing them. Ten years later, the rivalry between National Video and Blockbuster Video pushed National Video in another direction and Berger changed the name to Rentrak (think Rental Tracking). In 2009, Rentrak was the sole provider of global box office ticket sales information for studios and business and entertainment forecasters. A short time later, Rentrak acquired a local TV measurement service. Today, Rentrak has a product that measures overall daily media consumption and audience behaviors across all channels: box office, DVD, download, etc. The Rentrak television audience measuring system works like this: Rentrak measures audiences through set-top-boxes so viewers are counted by just turning on their TV. Rentrak’s TV Essentials service tracks data from set-top-boxes (STBs) in AT&T U-verse, DISH Network, and Charter Communications households. This model can be thought of as “passive participation” as opposed to Nielsen’s “active participation.

• Whose ratings are more accurate? While Rentrak shows a more stable view of TV usage, it does have some limitations:

o It does not collect demographic data, the jurisdiction behind all media plans.
o The data is only collected from satellite homes, yet the satellite homes are still representative of non-cable and non-satellite homes (however non-cable and non-satellite homes only make up about 10% of total households.)

Nielsen’s methods to providing ratings bring up these concerns:

o The larger markets don’t have equal meter placement, a major concern as mentioned in this article http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/56019/rentraks-influence-growing-in-ratings-wars 

o The diaries they use in the smaller markets are sloppy, illegible, and poorly documented.

o A small percentage of filled out diaries actually come back to be measured. If thousands are distributed, only hundreds come back.

We know Rentrak’s numbers are more accurate but many would argue that both Nielsen and Rentrak seem to have a faulty currency as it stands.

• Who tracks more households? PPBH, a Utah based advertising agency, compared Nielsen and Rentrak in the Salt Lake City market and confirmed in that DMA Nielsen tracks 410 homes and Rentrak monitors more than 50,000 DISH satellite households. Here is the full article on their investigation http://www.rentrak.com/downloads/Exact_Commercial_Ratings_Presentation.pdf. It’s the same story in Nashville (approximately 600,000 households versus 400 households respectively) and Columbus (150,000 households versus 500 households). The question was who tracks more households but the real question is does that matter? It is still undecided as to why Rentrak’s ratings are usually higher than Nielsen’s but one assumption is that it’s due to the fact that Rentrak has a larger household count and if that was the case then we would be comparing apples to oranges. Both results need to tell the same story so if the sample size is causing the inconsistency in the two, then agencies should actually consider using Rentrak as a complimentary service to Nielsen.

• Who shows a more accurate picture of station share and viewership levels? Rentrak and Nielsen both seem to show that the trends between stations are the same. In the PPBH investigation, they were in agreement on the station that had the highest household ratings in November 2012, what station had the lowest, and what station is picking up speed in 2013.

Who wins? Nielsen is still the primary source of audience measurement but Rentrak is gradually acquiring momentum. It will be interesting to watch this play out between the defender and the challenger and will give us here at SMG another good race to follow in this non-political season. Some have placed bets that Nielsen will purchase their competitor. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Super Bowl Infographs

Tuesday, February 26th, 2013

Much of the post-Super Bowl buzz is usually about the game and favorite or worst commercials. However, there is plenty of interesting data on the viewing habits, which is more useful for agencies. Nielsen and other third party vendors compiled several infographs discussing the three-screen approach and the prevalence of Twitter below.

2013-Super-Bowl-Infographic-Nielsen-Wire-version1

Pre-Super-Bowl-Ad-Spend-Wire-2

viralheat_super_bowl_infographic

Tweet Ads Infograph