The number-crunching for Nielsen's first set of radio ratings is complete. The analysis brings some good news for radio broadcasters -- and (not coincidentally) Nielsen. As the research giant drums up interest in its new radio ratings service, it's positioned to compete with Arbitron in dozens of midsized markets. Nielsen's March and April survey of 119,000 consumers, representing 14 million people in 51 markets across the country, contained a couple of pieces of good news for the radio business. To begin, Nielsen's findings suggest that young adults ages 18-34 are listening to just as much radio as the population at large, clocking an average 21.5 hours per week. Even better, the young, tech-savvy consumers that dominate its cell phone-only sample -- 15% of the total sample -- actually listen to radio more than average, clocking 23 hours per week. Here, the Nielsen research seems to counter the common assumption that radio -- which for the most part remains a traditional broadcast medium -- is losing the younger adult audience to digital alternatives, like iPods and MP3 players. Of course, Nielsen was quick to note its own achievements, contrasting them -- implicitly but unmistakably -- with the limitations of Arbitron's ratings service. Foremost, Nielsen claims that its sample in the survey covered 98% of the measured population, including a more representative proportion of cell phone-only households. Over the last year, Nielsen has also been promoting its diary-based radio ratings service for mid-sized markets, claiming its sticker-based diaries deliver more accurate data than Arbitron's diaries, which require panelists to write down what radio stations they listen to. Arbitron is aware of -- and responding to -- its rival's effort to poach mid-sized radio markets. Like Nielsen, Arbitron is appealing to radio broadcasters in need of good news with positive research findings. It's also touting prospect of new measurement documenting radio's continued vitality. Last week, Arbitron unveiled a program to create a metric that will gauge consumer "affinity" for both the radio medium in general and for specific radio stations versus their competitors. This promises to aid radio ad sales teams trying to differentiate themselves from competitors. By convincing advertisers that its audience is not simply a commodity, radio can charge more for inventory.
While DVR will continue to see growth, total DVR consumption remains small relative to all TV consumption. In its latest "On Demand" report, Interpublic Group's Magna says "by 2011 -- 10 years after widespread availability --- DVRs will be in approximately 35% of TV homes. Magna says "less than 4% of total universe TV consumption will occur on DVRs." It does note that consumers have increased TV consumption because of DVRs -- by 10% for each viewer. This means that "DVRs do not necessarily negatively impact the TV industry." The report written by Brian Weiser, senior vice president and director of industry analysis for Magna, says that 19.9% of TV viewed by 18-49 viewers with DVRs is time-shifted in prime time. Looking at full day, all DVR households, this comes to 9.1%. Overall, DVR subscribers are estimated to grow by 2014 to 42% (51 million) of all U.S. households from 28% (32 million) as of the second quarter of 2009. Magna notes that the overall population and increases in TV viewing will outpace the DVR impact. In surveying some of the biggest DVR players, the satellite TV operators lead the way. DirecTV now has 7 million DVR homes, and Dish Network is at 6.9 million. Among the cable systems, Comcast Corp. has 4.9 million, and Time Warner has 4.2 million DVR subscribers. Magna says that in five years' time, VOD services will climb to 66 million homes -- 55% of all U.S. TV homes -- from the 43.1 million, 39% of all TV homes currently. Broadband access -- another platform to view TV shows -- is estimated to reach 85 million homes in 2014, up from 71 million homes as of the second quarter of 2009.
For the second year in a row, San Francisco-based Goodby, Silverstein & Partners had a near sweep of Media magazine's Creative Media Awards, winning five of the event's 17 awards, and taking Best in Show, which went to an innovative online campaign for Frito-Lay's Doritos brand based on a spooky, virtual "Hotel 626". That campaign also won the Online Branding category. Other GS&P wins included top honors in the Branded Content/Product Placement category (for Acrobat's Adobe 9 "ESPN Tourney Challenge" campaign), Communications Channel Plan (for the California Milk Processors Board's outlandish "White Gold" campaign), New/Emerging/Experimental Media (for Doritos' "Late Night" campaign), and Research/Consumer Insights (for Cheetos' "Toy Box" research initiative). The only other multiple winner during the awards presentation in New York Wednesday evening was Starcom, which two top honors in two CMA categories: Creative (for Gardenburger's "Seeds of Inspiration" campaign); and Newspapers (for Procter & Gamble's "Swiffer Condo Program"). Other category winners included: *Business Media: Euro RSCG New York for The Atlantic's "Think Again" campaign. *Consumer Magazines: Team One for Lexus' "Mine Magazine" campaign. *Email: Yesmail for Hewlett-Packard's "Monster Sale" campaign. *Interactive/Enhanced Television: BrightLine ITV for Unilever's AXE "Dark Temptation" campaign. *Media Plan: PHD for HBO's "True Blood's" "Hacking Reality" campaign. *Multicultural: Initiative for Carl's Jr.'s "Deseos" campaign. *Online Media - Search: MEC Interaction for Pizza Hut's "The Search Is Over For America's Favorite Pizza" campaign. *Outdoor/Place-Based: Hill Holliday for Dunkin' Donuts' "Breakfast Not Brokefast" campaign. *Radio: Horizon Media for GEICO's "Piggybacking" campaign. *Television: Mullen for Ask.com's "Ask Crawl" campaign. Wednesday's ceremony marked the sixth year of Media's annual Creative Media Awards, which were established to recognize the creative use of media by agencies, marketers and media content and distribution companies.
Nielsen vice chair Susan Whiting said Wednesday the measurement company hopes to find a way to link with the fledgling consortium of media companies, advertisers and agencies intending to launch their own research initiative. The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement is expected to issue requests for proposal looking for research companies to help study how best to track video consumption across multiple platforms -- and separately, how to maximize viewing data from set-top boxes. "We certainly would want to participate in that if that made sense," Whiting said after MediaPost's Future of Media Forum. Whiting added that Nielsen works with the companies behind CIMM, ranging from NBC Universal to GroupM to AT&T, on a daily basis. The 15 CIMM members are interested in obtaining the same types of data and insight as Nielsen. Still, CIMM has given signals that it is not satisfied with Nielsen's abilities and speed in producing cutting-edge metrics -- although it has also suggested it is not looking to replace it.
In perhaps one of the biggest TV commercial roadblocks in recent memory, Sony Pictures Entertainment will run a two-minute trailer covering 90% of TV homes for its big disaster movie "2012" next week. Sony will air a two-minute commercial for the movie Oct. 1, between 10:50 p.m. and 11 p.m. EST/PST, covering a massive 90% of all homes watching ad-supported television: broadcast, cable and/or local TV. Nielsen Media Research says the number of TV homes for the 2009-2010 is 114.9 million. Overall, Sony hopes to pull in 110 million viewers as a result of the stunt. By comparison, the 2009 Super Bowl pulled in 98.7 million viewers -- a record. The massive media deal breaks down this way: The three broadcast ABC, CBS and NBC (Fox doesn't air during this the time), 89 ad-supported cable networks, local TV stations in the top 70 markets, and Spanish-language networks. This equates to some 450 TV outlets in North America. The movie, starring John Cusack and Amanda Peet, is about a global event that brings an end to the world and only leaves a few survivors behind. It will be released on Nov. 13. In addition, Comcast Corp. will partner with Sony, launching a multimillion-dollar promotional campaign on its cable networks and online to hype the roadblock. An extended five-minute version of the trailer can be seen on Comcast's video-on-demand service, Comcast on Demand, and online via its Fancast.com site. In a release, Marc Weinstock, president of worldwide marketing for Sony Pictures, said: "Since it appeals to such a broad audience, we wanted to launch our campaign in a way that would make an impact."
Martha Stewart, founder of the media company that carries her name, said Wednesday she used to be "very angry" about blurring the line between editorial and sales operations. But business realities and perhaps more consumer acceptance have softened her stance -- to the point that "it doesn't bother me anymore." Speaking at MediaPost's Future of Media Forum, Stewart said that "increasingly, we find there's a major breakdown in that church and state structure that was established years ago." She indicated that more ads in magazines (and perhaps the Web) seem to appear near related articles. Example: an ad for a medication next to a wellness piece. Also, advertisers are lobbying harder for opportunities tied closer to content. "I think there's a relaxation in our attitude towards it," Stewart said. Her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, publishes Martha Stewart Living and Everyday Food, among other magazines. Its publishing sector accounts for the bulk of company revenues, which fell 28% in the second quarter. That reality could lead to further changes in a content/capital balance. "We also want to make money and get advertisers to welcome our good content," Stewart said. At the event -- part of Advertising Week -- Stewart spoke on a panel that also included Rob Norman, CEO of GroupM Interaction. Perhaps referring more to the TV arena -- in line with Stewart's comments -- Norman referenced advertisers' desire to further link with content, saying his agency is increasingly trying to create assets that advertisers can own. Stewart did suggest that consumers may be playing some role in a shift in the so-called "church-state" dichotomy. Placing an ad next to a relevant article could "possibly" benefit them, making it easier to obtain information about a product. She also said some level of "monitoring is going away," suggesting that trade organizations may have altered their roles vis-a-vis church-state divides. Stewart was also joined on the panel by NPR CEO Vivian Schiller and MTV Networks CEO Judy McGrath. Schiller said relaxation of church-state standards is "not happening in legitimate newsrooms because people there have too much integrity." Still, she said, critics of a blurring of the lines may be "substantially underestimating the intelligence of the [consumer] to smell a rat." With "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" a boon to Comedy Central, part of MTV Networks, McGrath said: "Fake news has been very, very good to me. I think the consumer is more discerning than we give them credit for."
Moving further into the branded entertainment/reality TV show genre, The CW and U.S. airline Virgin America are launching a new reality TV show called "Fly Girls." The series, which will launch mid-season, will focus on young women and their high-flying travels around the globe. The premise matches The CW key core demographic: young women 18-34. A reality TV series focusing on an airline has been done before, with "Airline" on the A&E Networks. The show, which ran from 2004-2005, focused mostly on customers, and also on the employees/pilots of Southwest Airlines. Granada Television was the producer; "Airline" was based on a UK show. "Fly Girls" will take place over eight half-hour episodes, looking at the on-the-go lives of five Virgin America flight attendants who jet to locations such as Las Vegas, Miami and New York. Although the Virgin America brand is dominant and visible in the series, a spokeswoman for the airline says: "This is not a branded entertainment show, but rather a docu-series that happens to follow the lives of Virgin America in-flight teammates." One of the CW major shows, "America's Next Top Model," a reality TV competition show, has many branded-entertainment extensions by TV marketers in the series.
Slowly but surely, digital signs are closing in on Manhattan. With a stronghold in Times Square, the signs are now moving to surround the island from the north. The newest deployment brings a digital display network to the downtown area of White Plains, NY. The array of eight digital signs, each with a display surface measuring about 20 square feet in area, were installed by Clear Channel Outdoor on municipal property belonging to the White Plains Department of Parking, under the terms of an existing contract between the city and MD Sales & Marketing. In addition to displaying static advertising images on an eight-second loop, the signs feature scrolling digital text that will allow city officials to communicate important messages to the public. For example, signs directing parking and traffic during concerts and festivals or posting Amber Alerts and other emergency advisories. From the advertising perspective, downtown White Plains offers an audience with attractive demographic attributes. In addition to the city's 56,000 residents, the downtown sees heavy traffic by commuters coming and going from the White Plains transit hub, as well as en route to various government buildings, bringing the weekday total to over 200,000. White Plains is surrounded by converging highways, including U.S. 287, U.S. 684, U.S. 95, and U.S. 87, as well as the Bronx River Parkway, the Merritt Parkway and the Sprain Brook Parkway. Many commuters travel to Westchester to catch Metro-North Railroad trains at the White Plains or North White Plains stations, which are located 30 to 45 minutes north of Grand Central Station, with combined through-traffic of about 3 million in 2006. In June, Lamar Advertising Co. unveiled a new billboard in the Bronx using low-power digital signage technology developed by Magink. The new sign, located at 640 Soundview Ave., allows Lamar to display multiple ads with only a modest amount of electricity. Magink displays are not as bright or distracting as other types of digital signage, meaning that local residents are less likely to object to their presence. To create an image with Magink, an electrical charge is sent to a billboard covered with helix-shaped organic molecules. These rearrange themselves in different shapes following the distribution of the electrical charge. After the image is formed, no more energy is required to keep it in place, unlike LED billboards, which require a continuous source of power.
CBS stormed into the second day of the new TV season with several "NCIS" shows doing major damage. For the original show's season premiere, "NCIS" posted a night-leading Nielsen preliminary 4.6 rating/13 share between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. among 18-49 viewers. This season debut was well over last year's 3.6/10. Right on its heels at 9 p.m., its spinoff -- "NCIS: Los Angeles," in its series debut -- grabbed an equally impressive 4.4/11. Add in a good debut of "The Good Wife" at 10 p.m. -- with a 3.1/9, which won the time period -- and this put CBS in first place for the night, averaging a 4.0/11. CBS was also the only network to score better results for the night versus a year ago. Fox eked out a narrow second place with a special two-hour "Hell's Kitchen," which had good results, considering all the new scripted TV fall competition, with a 3.3/9. ABC didn't have as much luck. Its sturdy "Dancing with the Stars" only took in a 3.5/9 -- down from Monday's 4.1/10, and down from last fall's same night, at 4.7/12. Things didn't get much better for the network's new 10 p.m. show, the new Jerry Bruckheimer drama "The Forgotten," that earned a middling 2.5/7. The only bright spot here was that it went better than either the fall debut of "Eli Stone" or spring debut of "Cupid" in the same time period. ABC was a tick behind Fox for the night overall at a 3.2/9. NBC's "The Biggest Loser" was down from its premiere a week ago to a 3.1/8, but up slightly -- at 3% -- from same night of a year ago among the 18-49 crowd. Somewhat brighter news came from day-to-day improvement of "The Jay Leno Show" at 10 p.m., which witnessed a 2.4/7, up from the 1.8 rating on Monday night. This may have been due to somewhat less competition from two new unproven shows running against it: "The Good Wife" and "The Forgotten." Good and bad news for The CW: "90210" maintained about the same 18-34 ratings as a week ago, with a 1.5 number; but "Melrose Place" continued to slide, down 20% among its key women 18-34 demo. Overall for the night, CW landed with a 0.9/3 among 18-49 viewers and a 1.3/4 among all 18-34 viewers -- good for sixth place. Univision went a bit better on Tuesday night: a 1.6/4 for 18-49 viewers and 1.7/5 for 18-34.