• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, March 12, 2007

With the subject of audience engagement looming as one of the hot discussion points among advertisers, agencies and TV networks heading into the 2007-08 upfront negotiating season, some highly regarded research has been released that could lead to some surprising conversations. It reveals, for example, that while a show like ABC's "Desperate Housewives" is among Nielsen's top-rated, marketers may be less than desperate to advertise in it.

The data from Marketing Evaluations Inc., creators of the so-called Q ratings, has long been used by TV networks to program their schedules, based on the popularity and familiarity shows and actors have with TV viewers. But another aspect of the Q data, known as "Impact Q Scores," is being used by agencies as a proxy for engagement.

"It's primarily used by media buyers to help select the most effective programs for their advertiser clients," says Henry Schafer, executive vice president of Marketing Evaluations.

Many researchers have begun to produce so-called audience engagement data, including IAG Research. Nielsen also has created an experimental "engagement panel," comprised of former TV meter households who agree to keep their meters connected and supplement that research with additional surveys on engagement after they leave Nielsen's official ratings sample. Marketing Evaluations advantage is that it has been around for decades and has been the basis of network programming decisions for much of that time.

According to Schafer, the Impact Q enable advertisers and media buyers to glean the best advertising environments based on the frequency of viewing among "favorite" program viewers.

Using those criteria, ABC's top-rated "Desperate Housewives" falls out of the top 10 in Marketing Evaluations impact scores, dropping to No. 11.

Other surprising shifts that occur when comparing Marketing Evaluations' data to Nielsen's include NBC's "ER," which ranks near the top of Nielsen's ratings, but is only 16th in Marketing Evaluations' database.

Interestingly, ABC which seems to dominate Nielsen's universe, appears to be an also-ran in Marketing Evaluations', placing only one show - "Grey's Anatomy," ranked No. 2 - in the top 10, and only four shows in the top 20 Impact Q scores.

CBS, with five of the top 10, and seven of the top 20; and Fox with five of the top 20, fare the best.

	Impact Q Scores	Network	6+ VIEWERS
RANK	PRIMETIME
1	CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION	CBS	69
2	GREY'S ANATOMY	ABC	68
3	NCIS	CBS	65
4	HOUSE	FOX	64
5	24	FOX	64
6	LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT	NBC	63
7	CRIMINAL MINDS	CBS	62
8	GHOST WHISPERER	CBS	62
9	HEROES	NBC	62
10	CLOSE TO HOME	CBS	61
11	DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES	ABC	61
12	BOSTON LEGAL	ABC	59
13	NUMB3RS	CBS	59
14	BROTHERS & SISTERS	ABC	58
15	CSI: MIAMI	CBS	58
16	ER	NBC	58
17	EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS	CW	58
18	THE SIMPSONS	FOX	58
19	PRISON BREAK	FOX	57
20	AMERICAN IDOL	FOX	56
21	LAS VEGAS	NBC	56
22	LAW & ORDER	NBC	56
23	ALL OF US	CW	55
24	BONES	FOX	55
25	COLD CASE	CBS	55
26	DEAL OR NO DEAL	NBC	55
27	FAMILY GUY	FOX	55
28	SUPERNATURAL	CW	55
29	LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT	NBC	54
30	SHARK	CBS	54
31	TWO AND A HALF MEN	CBS	54
32	THE UNIT	CBS	54
33	FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN!	CW	53
34	THE O.C.	FOX	53
35	WITHOUT A TRACE	CBS	53
36	CSI: NY	CBS	52
37	EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION	ABC	52
38	GIRLFRIENDS	CW	52
39	MEDIUM	NBC	52
40	UGLY BETTY	ABC	52
41	WHAT ABOUT BRIAN	ABC	52
42	KING OF THE HILL	FOX	51
43	MEN IN TREES	ABC	50
44	SMALLVILLE	CW	50
45	AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK	FOX	49
46	MY NAME IS EARL	NBC	49
47	THE OFFICE	NBC	48
48	AMERICA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS	ABC	47
49	REBA	CW	47
50	COPS	FOX	46
51	CROSSING JORDAN	NBC	46
52	SCRUBS	NBC	46
53	BIG DAY	ABC	45
54	1 VS. 100	NBC	45
55	7TH HEAVEN	CW	45
56	ACCORDING TO JIM	ABC	44
57	GILMORE GIRLS	CW	44
58	THE KING OF QUEENS	CBS	44
59	ONE TREE HILL	CW	44
60	FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS	NBC	43
61	THE GAME	CW	43
62	VERONICA MARS	UPN	42
63	GEORGE LOPEZ	ABC	41
64	IN CASE OF EMERGENCY	ABC	40
65	30 ROCK	NBC	40
66	AMERICAN DAD	FOX	39
67	STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP	NBC	39
68	GREASE: YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT	NBC	38
69	HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER	CBS	38
70	60 MINUTES	CBS	38
71	THE WAR AT HOME	FOX	36
72	THE APPRENTICE	NBC	35
73	DATELINE NBC	NBC	35
74	ARMED AND FAMOUS	CBS	34
75	THE CLASS	CBS	34
76	48 HOURS MYSTERY	CBS	34
77	NANNY 911	FOX	34
78	20/20	ABC	34
79	BEAUTY AND THE GEEK 3	CW	32
80	TRADING SPOUSES: MEET YOUR NEW MOMMY	FOX	32
81	SUPERNANNY	ABC	31
82	PRIMETIME: MEDICAL MYSTERIES	ABC	30
83	WIFE SWAP	ABC	28
84	THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE	CBS	27
85	'TIL DEATH	FOX	25
86	THE KNIGHTS OF PROSPERITY	ABC	24
87	ABC SATURDAY NIGHT MOVIE OF THE WEEK	ABC	22
88	WATCH OVER ME	MY NET	19
89	WICKED WICKED GAMES	MY NET	15
	PRIME TIME AVERAGE		47

Source: Marketing Evaluations Inc./The Q Score Company, January-February 2007 report.