TV

Sonic Branding is Back

The use of specific sounds, audio cues and music for branding is nothing new — it has been employed since radio became a mass medium. But as many marketers are rediscovering, sonic branding researchers are exploring best practices for today’s media environment.

Read more »

AI Facilitates Product Placements

AI makes it easy to place products into video content and make those digital insertions look more realistic than ever. This is likely to further increase product placements – a good reason to revisit the research that provides insights on how to make them effective.

Read more »

Inside the Journal of Advertising Research: Sonic Branding, ASMR Engagement, and Who Wins in Activist Messaging?

  • JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

At this Insights Studio, researchers in Europe, the U.K. and the U.S. presented work in relatively new fields that have high-impact potential for the advertising industry. Starting with a forthcoming paper on sonic branding, the authors described their ground-breaking framework for measuring the implicit effects of sonic branding using music to manipulate visual scenes in video, film and TV. Next, a deep dive into autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR)—a sensory-inducing device in ads—included strategies for helping brands collaborate with successful ASMR influencers. Lastly, a preview of an article to be published in the March Prosocial Advertising Special Issue showed how brand activism influences attitudes and purchase intentions, revealing a credibility gap between established activist brands and brands emerging in that space. Taking questions from Paul and from attendees, panelists in the concluding Q&A explored links between sonic branding and ASMR, the demographics of ASMR followers, ways for emergent activist brands to close the credibility gap with established activist brands, and future research possibilities.

Member Only Access

Three Little Words

How would you describe a show or movie in three words? Netflix does. And according to a New York Times article, that is one of the drivers of the streamer’s success. Read more »

How Viewers are Changing

A new LA Media Research Council event featured insights from 2023 research, new studies on changes in behaviors and discussions about 2024 priorities. Read more »

The 6th Annual Privacy Study

One of the ARF’s most popular reports for membership and the press, the 6th Annual Privacy Study has now been released. The study surveyed 1,329 American consumers in the spring of 2023 on a Qualtrics online sample and platform. The report contains perennial questions regarding device usage, trust in institutions and how well privacy terms are understood. Last and this year’s versions also investigated what changes in information the public is willing to share and under what circumstances they are willing to share it. A new aspect to this year’s study is that it contains longitudinal findings across all six years.

Member Only Access

The Media Universe

Evan Shapiro has updated his “Media Universe” chart. This is what it looks like at the end of 2023.   Read more »

Media Use/Audience Behavior

Given the rapid changes in the media landscape and in viewer behavior and attitudes, this is sure to be an on-going concern for researchers.

Read more »

Making the Right Impression

  • INSIGHTS STUDIOS

Key Takeaways

Paul Donato – Chief Research Officer, ARF Pete Doe – Chief Research Officer, Nielsen Pete Doe brought some clarity to how Nielsen currently approaches linear TV measurement and how it will evolve throughout 2024 in this detailed presentation, describing Nielsen’s integration of big data with panel data in its national TV measurement, participation in auditing and accreditation, exploration in defining impressions and conversations with the industry about time requirements and duration weighting. Other topics discussed in the Q&A that followed covered definitions of calibration and campaign reach measurement, panel adjustments for STB/ACR data, personalization and the differentiation between 30-second ads, 15-second ads and 60-second ads in terms of equivalization and measured impressions. These are selected excerpts from the session’s presentation and Q&A:
  • While big datasets are necessary to capture the fragmentation in the market, panel measurement—with its details on the persons viewing and devices being used—is essential to create a holistic view of audiences. Nielsen’s philosophy does not prioritize one over the other; instead, each informs the other.
  • After listening to industry publishers, agencies and clients, Pete assured the audience that Nielsen will still be offering C3 and C7 metrics in addition to new offerings of individual commercial metrics as of September 24th, 2024. He outlined a three-step process in Nielsen’s overall approach to its big data solution, starting with providing one year of impact national STB (set-top box) data that will then be audited by the MRC and submitted for accreditation. Pete noted that some clients were open to using non-accredited data in the interim, with buyers and sellers agreeing to available data that enables transactions.
  • Nielsen’s currency roadmap for 2024 begins with the currently available data streams that include both panel-only C3 and big data. They are planning to extend their national big data to include Comcast’s STB data calculated from sub-minute crediting in January and fully release their new currency combination of panel and big data, produced to C3 and C7 standards, in September, subject to auditing and accreditation processes. Pete also provided details on Nielsen’s approach to local TV measurement by introducing a calibration methodology, along with top line national demo findings in age groups and increases in Hispanic and Black audiences from Q1 2023.
  • Pete addressed the importance of having a consistent definition of an impression and how Nielsen worked to achieve more granularity in measurement with the sub-minute level of data. Referencing the MRC’s cross-media measurement standard and the continued debate around time requirements (at least two consecutive seconds) and duration weighting, he said Nielsen found no complete consensus from different sides of the industry, although there seems to be more support for two continuous seconds without duration weighting. Nielsen’s exploration in defining impressions assumed that equivalization as a kind of duration weighting will be assessed as deals are made.
  • Nielsen compared the impact of 1s, 2s and 5s using their sub-minute panel plus big data measurement against panel data and the average commercial minute, and, when adding duration weighting, found significant differences in impressions across varying age groups, households and day parts.
  • In terms of deals, one of the benefits of moving from the average commercial minute in a program to individual commercial metrics is the ability to look at the position in the commercial pod. In an example from a daytime broadcast show, Pete illustrated how first-in-pod ads typically deliver a higher audience than the rest of the ads in the pod, finding 99 percent of ads in the first pod indexed higher with 18 percent higher impressions than the average across 160 placements.
  • Nielsen’s national measurement’s “big data” encompass 30-35 million homes including Comcast, DirecTV and DISH return-part-data (RPD) from STBs. Smart TV ACR data from Roku and Vizio adds to the 30-35 million total with some overlap. In local markets, Nielsen does not currently use smart TV data as local stations are not all measured or supplied in its numbers so they focus instead on RPD augmented with Charter data. Because of its deals with DirecTV and DISH, Nielsen has a presence in every market.
  • Nielsen has streaming meters in about 50% of the homes in its national panel currently and is focusing on building those numbers. It also has local CTV measurement capability.
  Nielsen’s key takeaways:
  • Panel+big data means higher audiences, better stability, fewer zero ratings.
  • Overall patterns of viewing are pretty consistent between panel and panel+big data.
  • Two-second qualifier increases available impressions, while duration weighting deflates them.
  • Individual commercial minute data enables pod position considerations in deals.
 

Download Presentation

Watch Presentation

Member Only Access