A report released late Thursday by Nielsen Media Research reveals just how complex it can be to accurately measure multicultural audiences, even within a single household. It also reveals that Nielsen's local people meter sample in New York did underrepresent a major ethnic group. It just didn't happen to be either Hispanics or African Americans, but Asian Americans. The report, an unusual public disclosure by Nielsen on the nature of its processes and procedures, summarizes the findings of the Media Rating Council's audit of the New York people meter system and sample. Nielsen said it released the report in response to issues raised by the MRC, its audit, and the subsequent leak of that report earlier this week to the Los Angeles Times. Ironically, the findings do not support the contentions of News Corp.-backed opposition group Don't Count Us Out--which has maintained in a series of TV and print ads, as well as public statements and aggressive lobbying efforts, that the MRC audit proved that Nielsen undercounts people of color, that the people meter technology is flawed, and that the local people meter service should be delayed. Actually, Nielsen said the report did reveal an underrepresentation of some people of color in its New York people meter sample: Asian Americans, who were 3 percent below the market's universe estimates for the demographic group. Ironically, no Asian-American groups have voiced any opposition to the local people meter service. The service went live on June 3, and Nielsen has faced a groundswell of pleas from clients--mainly major broadcast groups--and trade associations to delay the service until the issues can be resolved and the MRC grants accreditation. Nielsen executives said it is continuing to work with the MRC toward that end, and expects and hopes to have a breakthrough in New York and possibly even Los Angeles soon. But it seems unlikely that Nielsen will receive MRC accreditation in Los Angeles prior to the service's July 3 launch date-- although that service may be delayed in any case, depending on the outcome of a July 1 Superior Court hearing to grant an injunction that would delay the service. That injunction was the result of a lawsuit filed by Univision Communications, which claims the rollout of the Los Angeles service will damage its standing in the ad community. Meanwhile, the report released by Nielsen on Thursday says that only four of 85 categories audited by Ernst & Young for the MRC were "tagged," including: * Cable TV information (15 of 602 homes audited were affected by cable rebuilds)Race identification (discrepancy in 2 homes out of 30 audited) Ethnic identification (discrepancy in 2 of 27 homes audited for ethnicity)Incomplete documentation (applies to more complete disclosure in Nielsen's standard reports). Nielsen said the MRC also expressed concern about higher-than-normal fault rates, and that the MRC has formed a special "faulting committee" to work with Nielsen and come up with solutions to the problem. Faults refer to situations in which the people meters fail to report data for a variety of reasons--including equipment problems, communications errors, unplugged meters, or improper usage of the meters. The MRC audit did find that the fault rates were slightly higher for African-American households (25 percent) than for the overall population (16 percent), and Nielsen said it is looking into possible causes, implying that one might ironically have been DCUO's advertising and public information campaign targeted at African-American households in the market. "Starting in late March, the News Corp.-backed advocacy groups took a strong public position against the use of People Meters," asserted Nielsen. "Broad-based mailings, telephone messaging, television coverage, and possibly door-to-door canvassing may have led respondents to become less cooperative. We are in the process of assessing the impact of the controversy on our sample quality." In its disclosure, Nielsen did acknowledge some discrepancies with the MRC's audit in identifying the race and/or ethnicity of some sample households, but said it only goes to prove "how complex it can be to gather accurate data from multiracial, multiethnic, or Black-Hispanic households." Asked what her household race or ethnicity was, one respondent told Nielsen's field representatives "I don't know," citing the fact that her parents were "white and black and her grandfather was Cuban." The respondent ultimately identified herself as African American, and changed the household's designation from Hispanic to non-Hispanic. In another case, the MRC audit found a household to be Brazilian and the language used to be "only English," since both members of that household spoke mostly Portuguese and English, but did not speak Spanish. Nielsen's records showed the household to be classified as Argentine, speaking mostly Spanish.
The Book On "Books" The Magazine Publishers of America has released the 2004 edition of its annual "Magazine Handbook" and if you're involved in print planning, the 52-page report, available at Magazine.org, is worth checking out. Here are some of the many interesting, useful, and in some cases, bizarre nuggets: * Based on the MPA's criteria for measuring and monitoring magazines, the number of total magazines was down in 2003 versus the previous year--from 17,321 to 17,254. However, the number of consumer magazines was up by nearly a thousand titles, going from 5,340 to 6,234--an increase of 17 percent. * The industry saw 440 new launches last year, with 45 falling within the Crafts/Games/Hobbies/Models category (and mysteriously, just one in the Mystery/Science Fiction category). * As an indication of the deep thinking and serious nature of a nation preoccupied by a war and an upcoming presidential election, the leading editorial subject covered by magazines was "Entertainment/Celebrity," with more than 18.2 million pages representing more than 12 percent of all pages. Apparel/Accessories was the second-highest editorial category, with more than 10 percent of all pages. Lucky for that. * The percentage of advertising (versus editorial) pages is up from one year ago--from 46.6 percent to 47.9 percent--although it is still lower than 1996, when advertising represented more than half of magazine pages. * According to an intriguing analysis of GRPs (gross rating points) for both media, the top 25 magazines out-deliver the top 25 prime-time TV shows for several adult and teen demos. To help planners make the case for more magazine spending, several pages are dedicated to providing documentation of various studies that seek to prove magazines' ROI effectiveness. Measuring magazines' 'wantedness' also receives a fair amount of attention. The MPA plans to feature different questions every week for the foreseeable future. Currently, they are asking: "What company was the magazine industry's top advertiser in 2003? The answer can be found on page 30. International Geographic The National Geographic Society, which changed the title of its kid-aimed National Geographic World to National Geographic Kids two years ago, is on an international roll. New versions of the kids title are launching in Latin America, South Africa, Poland, Serbia, Croatia, and the Netherlands in 2004, bringing to 11 the number of international editions of its children's publications that have launched in the last year. This expansion coincides with the global expansion of the famous yellow-bordered National Geographic magazine, now available in 25 non-English languages, according to Terry Adamson, executive vice president of the National Geographic Society. "Part of [the growth of the kid's title] has been the success of the National Geographic magazine in other countries in the last few years," he said. As interest and demand grew in the non-English version of the famous book, most of which launched over the last five years, demand for the kids title rose. However, the simple renaming of the children's edition in the United States was what really caused the entire concept to take off. "Suddenly, there has been this huge interest in the kids publication," Adamson said. "People knew what it was for." Content for these new international titles is derived mostly from the U.S. magazine, which boasts a circulation of 1.2 million, and from other Society publications, including the classroom-designed National Geographic Explorer!. The new magazines also include local content created by their publishers. No Limits For Kids Speaking of kids' titles, Sports Illustrated For Kids will hit the road for the third consecutive year with its No Limits Road Trip 2004 Tour, a traveling action sports show that will feature live performances and interactive clinics with some of the best athletes on the BMX bike and skateboard circuit. The event begins next week at Wet 'n Wild in Las Vegas June 22 and 23, Reaching 12 major amusement parks throughout the summer. Traveling Light Last year, the Colorado resort Copper Mountain approached Cooking Light about creating a travel event for the magazine's readers in exchange for several ad pages. Based on its success, Cooking Light is running its own version of last year's successful event in creating its Food & Fitness Getaway, to be held this August in Vail, Colo. Cooking Light promoted $667 per-person travel packages to its readers who wished to attend the three-day event, while this time signing on advertisers for in-book and on-site sponsorships. So far, winemaker Woodbridge and upscale appliance manufacturer Jenn-Air are on board. Kate Darden, Cooking Light's marketing director, believes it is important for the magazine to have such "signature" events on a yearly or twice-a-year basis, to excite both readers and advertisers. "More and more, our readers want to come out and participate," she said. "It's also a way for advertisers to reach out and touch these people." The Vail event fits in with Cooking Light's editorial focus on a healthy and active lifestyle. Those traveling to Vail will get to be as active as they'd like, while also attending yoga classes and spas, plus meal sessions with firsthand instruction on healthy preparation. Back-Of-The-Book:Air & Space magazine, the magazine of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, had undergone a cover redesign starting with the current June/July issue in an effort to boost newsstand sales... Bridal Guide is helping contribute to national security. The book has recently named its "Bride/Groom of the Year," who are getting married this month. Each member of the couple is an agent for the secret service... Former women's tennis star Zina Garrison, she of 14 singles titles, will be on hand at next week's Tennis Magazine Wimbledon Experience, which is sponsored by British Airways and Rolex. The event, held June 22-24, will turn Vanderbilt Hall, within New York City's Grand Central Terminal, into a mock All England Club featuring royal guards, ivy walls, and simulated grass playing surfaces to coincide with Wimbledon.