After lengthy testing, Nielsen has a plan that would upend its measurement system for local markets by increasing sample sizes significantly, while also using set-top-box (STB) data and a new device known as a code reader. The new system would bring daily ratings to the diary-only markets that now only receive ratings four times a year during sweeps periods. Ratings in those 150-plus markets would no longer be based on just diaries. Electronic measurement via the code reader and STB data would also be used as part of a hybrid methodology. In diary-only markets, the new Nielsen system would effectively double the current sample size, according to a client memo distributed Tuesday. In the remaining markets, which have local people meters (LPMs) or set meters, the sample sizes would effectively quadruple. Nielsen data collection in all markets would be buttressed by the code reader, which Nielsen refers to as a “new proprietary home TV measurement technology,” with a “watermark-enabled capture device.” Implementation for the new system is unclear. In each market, there will be a period of three to six months when the existing system will be offered alongside the new one for evaluation and comments. Nielsen executive Pat Dineen, who has overseen the project, said the company is ready to flip the switch from a technological standpoint, but plans to only be as aggressive as clients want. For example, stations might want to move deliberately in order to bolster their research capabilities to process the new data, particularly in diary-only markets. Stations may also have doubts about the viability of STB data. But Dineen said by mid-2013, the new system could be operating in markets using all three Nielsen measurement sources. “If our clients tell us we need to move faster and they’re accepting of the new technology, that will be a trigger that we need to move faster,” he said. Nielsen’s STB methodology is moving through the Media Rating Council accreditation process. The MRC has revoked accreditation for Nielsen’s diary-only process. Dineen declined to comment on how the new system may affect efforts to obtain that again. Stations in diary-only markets have been complaining to Nielsen for years that the pen-and-paper system is as current as “Gunsmoke.” Those begging for an overhaul may have gotten more grist from recent snafus involving May sweeps data, where there was trouble in printing the diaries correctly on Nielsen’s end. In fact, stations in markets of all sizes have been arguing that sample sizes are far too small, bringing wild swings and unpredictability in ratings. A station executive might note it is ludicrous that if five people in a sample don’t watch “Jeopardy,” the rating inexplicably could come back as zero. Many industry executives have called for Nielsen to integrate STB data, suggesting it can provide a more reliable solution. Nielsen competitor Rentrak has signed up a slew of stations to use its STB-based product. On Tuesday, the Sinclair group said it is jettisoning Nielsen to use Rentrak at several stations, including the CBS affiliates in Austin, West Palm Beach, Providence and Salt Lake City. “Only Rentrak has proven that our information is stable and predictive, and it’s out there in the market today,” said Rentrak CEO Bill Livek. In its client memo, Nielsen said its new system is aimed at providing data that is “representative, stable, consistent and able to capture the entire viewing audience.” Nielsen has showed reticence with using STB data only, arguing it does not cover homes using only over-the-air TV; does not provide sturdy demographic data; and might mistakenly count homes where the set-top box is on, but no one is watching. Thus, it has pushed for a hybrid approach with a panel informed by what’s also known as return-path data. In its memo, Nielsen said its new system would provide “significant reduction in zero-rated periods and ratings variability.” “We’re clearly doing this to be a better service to our clients,” Dineen said. TVB chief Steve Lanzano expressed cautious optimism, saying there must be ample time to evaluate the methodology, but “any initiative to increase the sample to reduce the variability and to get rid of zero cells that will make measurement better for local broadcasters is a good thing.” Nielsen has acknowledged it has access to STB data from DirecTV and Charter Communications, but Dineen said it has arrangements in place to obtain it from a run of other providers. The new system was designed not just to upgrade TV measurement, but to lay the groundwork for cross-platform measurement tracking online and mobile usage. Nielsen said it will measure “content as it moves across screens such as tablets and smartphones.” Dineen said it was also crafted to allow for so-called single-source measurement that looks to match media consumption with actual purchase data. Rentrak CEO Bill Livek said his company is doing that now -- matching TV viewing with automotive purchasing, for example. “We’re the iPhone in this space,” he said. “We’re doing it. We keep advancing with our product.”
The automaker, which by now could probably publish a textbook on social-media launch strategies for cars and crossovers, is starting up a new social-focused campaign for the new 2013 Fusion, the third-generation of the vehicle. "Random Acts of Fusion" features TV host and producer Ryan Seacrest. Said Jim Farley, Ford group VP of marketing, in a statement, “Combining social media, entertainment and unexpected consumer experiences will allow us to connect with audiences through every type of media, introducing Fusion’s profile larger than ever.” The campaign, like "Fiesta Movement" and "Escape Routes" before it, uses consumers as evangelists to talk about Ford vehicles to peers through social-media platforms. The new effort for the 2013 Fusion also uses radio and broadcast media. Central to the plan is that Ford will use a fleet of around 100 of the new Fusions for short-term loans to 1,000 or so people chosen for their personal stories. And unlike the earlier social-media driven efforts for Fiesta and Escape, Ford is aiming to give a much broader range of people -- not just influencers -- an early taste of the new Fusion, per Crystal Worthem, manager of Ford brand content and alliances. The company on Tuesday launched a video on its Facebook page featuring Seacrest, who explains that after 1,000 people sign on to watch the video, the program moves to the next level, where the nuts and bolts of the campaign are revealed. Says Worthem, “Consumers will have to work together to unlock the story, and as the program evolves, will have a chance to see for themselves how Fusion is able to transform the lives of the people who drive it.” The company says the effort will star “personalities from consumers to celebrities as the program crisscrosses the country introducing the all-new Fusion to millions.” Worthem tells Marketing Daily that Seacrest was the perfect choice for the program. "We have had a relationship with him by way of ‘American Idol’ for the past couple of years. So he has been working with us and delivering the Ford message for a while." She adds that his core fan base and those Ford is trying to reach with the Fusion campaign are aligned. Ford will do more with Seacrest as he has gone from host to producer to owning a cable production company. "The opportunities to work with him are endless," says Worthem, adding that Ford will do a lot of product placement and integration of the Fusion in TV shows and movies, as the car is visually striking, and much different the previous, second-generation Fusion.
Keeping the focus on fresh content, multimedia entertainment studio Electus has partnered with actor/director duo Kevin Smith and Ralph Garman to launch their podcast show “Hollywood-Babble On This Week” on its new YouTube channel, LOUD. Premiering with a Comic-Con special in mid-July, “Hollywood-Babble” will feature co-hosts Smith and Garman as they highlight a compilation of best-of clips from a new episode of their podcast. Explaining the thinking behind the deal, Drew Buckley, COO and head of digital at Electus, said they wanted to “build on the strengths of both YouTube and traditional television in terms of creating series with high production value that speak directly and intimately to the YouTube community.” The company also announced several additional series that will launch on LOUD in the coming weeks, featuring YouTube personality George Watsky, actor/comedian JB Smoove, MMA stars Rashad Evans and Kenny Florian, jeweler-to-the-stars Ben Baller and TV personality Quddus. Founded in 2009 by former NBC Entertainment co-chairman Ben Silverman and Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp, Electus has sought to differentiate itself with unique talent content. Largely conceptualized by Silverman (with the help of production studio DiGa), LOUD is expected to house fresh and edgy series featuring celebrities and popular YouTube talent. Last year, Electus acquired Engine Entertainment, with which it formed an in-house global distribution arm named Electus/Engine Distribution to handle worldwide sales for Electus' content, including television, motion picture and digital. At the time of the deal, Electus said the acquisition would not disrupt an existing partnership with Elisabeth Murdoch's Shine Group -- which, according to Electus, would continue to handle international distribution.
CBS will use neuroscience to help create promotional campaigns for four TV shows this fall.Neuroscience has been in vogue over the last few years, bringing attention to the effectiveness of specific TV content. Much of the focus has been on TV commercials. Working with CBS, Nielsen NeuroFocus founder and CEO Dr. A. K. Pradeep has found a way to conduct neurological analysis' of TV advertising audiences in order to gauge effectiveness.The answer? Reduce the filler -- otherwise known as "neuro-compression." This technology enables the most effective scenes within a TV spot to be identified and edited into shorter and often more "neurologically" impactful marketing messages.Basically, human brains can figure out messages/storylines from just a few content segments. “Our brains are so smart, they retain the key pieces of logic, the key pieces of the flow,” said Dr. Pradeep, on NielsenWire.com. “If you threw out all the fillers … and got to the core, it’s a lot more effective. [Neuro-Compression] ends up producing a better product.”CBS didn't disclose what the TV promos would be or for which shows. But David Poltrack, chief research officer of CBS Corp., called the effort a "very exciting project" on NielsenWire.com.CBS said the technology could apply for all TV marketers, reducing media buying costs by coming up with a shorter TV commercial/message. Plus, TV marketers could repurpose the ad through cross-platform opportunities, such as online, mobile and in-store digital displays.Said Poltrack: “We believe that in the case of online and mobile, we’re in a new frontier."
To raise awareness for National HIV Testing Day, Walgreens is again offering free testing, expanding the freebie to 47 stores in 50 cities. A spokesperson for the nation’s largest drugstore says that response was so positive last year -- the first year it offered free screenings -- that it decided to double the number of participating stores. And in 138 additional stores, it is publicizing the free testing, using posters, postcards and in-store audio. It also plans to promote the message on New York Times Square’s digital display, the largest billboard of its kind in the country. (In 550 stores in heavily affected areas, Walgreens has special programs, including pharmacists offering one-on-one medication and counseling.) The idea is to increase outreach and awareness of the importance of testing, she says. “Not many people will volunteer to be tested and it still is taboo,” she says. “So we’re hoping to help dispel the stigma around testing. Walgreens offers many tests. By making it confidential, you could be going in for a blood pressure check.” The program, in partnership with the nonprofit Greater Than AIDS, is scheduled to run from 3 to 7 p.m., June 27 to June 29, in Walgreens in 20 cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. Of the more than 1.2 million people living with HIV in the U.S. today, an estimated one in five -- or nearly a quarter of a million people -- do not know it. One-third of those who are positive are diagnosed so late in the course of their infection they develop AIDS within one year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Current recommendations call for all adults and adolescents to be tested for HIV at least once as a routine part of health care, and for those at an increased risk to be tested at least annually. Greater Than AIDS has also kicked off a new PSA campaign this year, unveiling new outdoor media messages urging Americans to get tested for HIV. The “I Got Tested” campaign features real people’s stories of testing and encourages others to “join the movement.” (Univision Network is running Spanish-language versions.) Ads feature such actors as Jason George (“Grey’s Anatomy”), Nadine Ellis (“Let’s stay together”), Naturi Naughton (“The Client”) and Dennis Haysbert (“24,” “The Unit.”)
The rapid adoption of second digital video screens continues apace.In just the last 12 months, Nielsen says smartphone penetration has risen 34%, with tablets increasing 400%, and Internet-connected TV 25% higher. Gaming console growth has climbed 1% in the last 12 months.Steve Hasker, president of global media products and advertiser solutions for Nielsen, released the data at its Nielsen Consumer 360 event.All this means big hurdles, but also opportunities. Nielsen's Cross-Platform Ratings are intent on measuring second-screen viewing. Hasker says the company's next move is to double its panel size to 20,000.On a panel at the event, Peter Seymour, executive vice president of strategy and research, Disney Media Networks, said Disney just follows the consumer. “There are situational and age differences," he says, according to NielsenWire. "If kids are watching video in the back of the car, we empower them with mobile video.”John Spadaro, senior vice president and managing director research of Zenith Media, said: “It’s really not a question of how to use a specific channel. You simply cannot succeed in a single-channel environment.”Clint McClain, senior director of marketing of Walmart, added: “I’m looking for an innovation that we can build together for the consumer. I’m willing to roll the dice -- just tell me that the customers are going to be more engaged.”Brad Smallwood, head of measurement and insights for Facebook, said: “We recognize that the future for us is very much about people developing off of our platform. Collaborations with Zynga, social TV … that’s where we see a lot of our growth happening.”
Men’s aftershave brand Brut is launching a campaign that, like 2010's Brut Slap and last year's Brut News Network (BNN), offers a new spin on machismo. The TV and digital campaign, via Oradell, N.J.-based Sigma Group, is -- like the previous offbeat humorous campaigns -- focused on young guys with a digital media orientation. The campaign for the division of Helen of Troy, Ltd.'s Idelle Labs does, however, include two 15–second spots showcasing how Brut embodies “The Essence of Man.” The ads point to how society makes guys conceal their atavism -- but how, by wearing Brut they can bring out their inner "he man." One of the ads has a guy being harangued by his wife (or girlfriend) to hurry up because they’ll be late. The instant he applies Brut, she runs back into the bathroom, suddenly very pregnant. As is the goldfish, and the beagle. The media buy includes male-targeted networks in the U.S. and Canada such as Discovery, History and Spike. Online banner ads are featured on similar male-focused Web sites including Playboy.com, BleacherReport.com, BreakMedia.com, CollegeHumor.com and OfficialManCard.com. Each ad reinforces the central idea of Brut as an enhancement to maleness. Additional consumer engagement elements include a season-long partnership with Minor League Baseball and an August sponsorship of the New York-area Warrior Dash, an 5K obstacle course event through harsh terrain. The MiLB partnership was brokered by Norwalk, Conn.-based Octagon Marketing. The company says the purpose of the sponsorship is to engage fathers and kids with in-stadium activation elements such as the “Brut Handslap,” challenging men to compete in a creative handshake challenge. Last year’s BNN on Facebook.com/Brut was a hosted news format with original video and “news” that was part sports, part humor. The company has aimed at younger males for its efforts with a heavy push on social media and interactive platforms like 2010’s “slapification” app on BrutSlap.com.
Turner's swing managing the digital properties for the PGA Tour is moving toward the 18th hole. An arrangement that began in 2006 will end as the Tour regains control in January. The moves comes as the PGA Tour signed nine-year TV deals with CBS and NBC last year that include simulcasting rights on networks' sites and PGATour.com. Ad sales for PGATour.com and other properties will be overseen by Lee Bushkell, the vice president of media sales with the PGA Tour. The PGA Tour is also reclaiming total oversight of content and marketing and other operations. Turner will continue to manage PGA.com -- affiliated with a separate organization with a large membership of teaching pros -- and handle ad sales for the golf section of Yahoo Sports. Turner has built a business managing digital properties for the likes of NASCAR, the NBA and NCAA, where it also televises events. Matthew Hong, a senior vice president at Turner Sports, stated that Turner is “now more focused on moving forward in areas that leverage cross-platform assets.” "(The shift) does not reflect upon Turner, which has done a wonderful job and has been a great partner; it is about our overall strategy regarding our fans, players, sponsors and other stakeholders, and our desire to control those elements directly out into the future,” stated PGA Tour executive Paul Johnson. Under Turner, PGATour.com has taken multiple steps to allow visitors to better follow tournaments in real-time.
So after all the predictions that HBO’s “Girls” would be the next “Sex and the City” and hosannas about how great it was that women would finally (finally?) get a voice on television, it turns out that the largest audience for this show was men. According to Nielsen’s Live +7 ratings, which includes a week of DVR playback, an average of 712,00 men watched “Girls” over the first eight weeks of the season, compared to 573,000 women. This trend holds for all age groups. Whether they are young, middle-aged or seniors, more men than women watch “Girls.” (The gender gap is actually highest among viewers 55+, where men outwatch women by more than three to two.) It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this. Except for the new season of “Mad Men,” the premiere of “Girls” became the most widely anticipated event of the year, and most (but not all) of the hype was generated from women’s blogs, double-X podcasts and female critics. Most of the early reviews were rapturous about the originality of 26-year-old Lena Dunham’s voice and the honesty with which she portrayed the lives of four entitled young white women trying to survive in Brooklyn. This early hype, which provoked a furious, almost psychotic, backlash, did no favors for “Girls.” First the show was criticized for having no characters of color, making you wonder why, out of the dozens, if not hundreds, of TV shows guilty of the same sin, this particular show was singled out for such criticism. Then there was snark that Dunham benefited from nepotism, as if HBO was in the habit of routinely handing out prime-time shows to young women who happen to be the daughters of moderately successful New York artists (her mother is a photographer and designer and her father is a painter.) There was also backlash against Dunham herself, who, despite not meeting the definition of a modern sex symbol, had the effrontery to shoot numerous painfully awkward sex scenes featuring her character Hannah. Who, the critics asked, was this chubby, ordinary-looking girl to think she represented the voice of her generation? What is it about quirky and original TV women that drives other women so crazy? Earlier this year, Zooey Deschanel was put through a similar wringer, and even Tina Fey’s character Liz Lemon was deemed a bad role model for women last season because she had a hard time balancing her romantic and professional lives. In the year 2012, why does every woman on TV have to be a role model for every other woman in America? And if that were the case, wouldn’t the righteous indignation be better directed at the slatternly behavior of the women in series like “Two Broke Girls,” “The Jersey Shore,” and reality relationship shows? In any event, now that the first season is over, both the hype for and the backlash against “Girls” seem vastly overblown. “Girls” turned out to be a perfectly charming and surprisingly funny show, but one with a very personal and narrow mission. Dunham herself never claimed to speak for her generation and it should be clear to all but the most obtuse that the confused, self-indulgent Hannah is not a surrogate or mouthpiece for Dunham, who totally has her act together. It’s the very specificity of Hannah as a flesh-and-blood character -- and not a gender icon – that makes it possible for men to relate to her. You don’t need to be a 20something woman to laugh knowingly or be moved by her mistakes because we’ve all messed up job interviews, misread personal cues, experienced social anxiety or regretfully escalated an argument that couldn’t be taken back. As Hannah and her friends try to navigate the world, there’s a universality to them that makes them accessible to everyone regardless of age or gender. When she asks, in the very last line of dialogue of the season, “Excuse me. Where am I?” it’s a question we can all relate to. So maybe it’s not a surprise that Bill Simmons, ESPN’s “Sports Guy,” would take the unprecedented step of recording a podcast with Dunham on a Sunday so he could talk to her, or that Slate.com would have a special feature, “What a Bunch of Guys Think about ‘Girls.’” Simmons made the point that FX’s “Louie” is more like “Girls” than “Sex and the City” is. “Sex and the City” was a female fantasy, an orgy of shoes, fashion, beautiful apartments and Cosmopolitans all put to the service of girl-to-girl bonding. All of that is in short supply on “Girls,” which lets everything hang out. Like “Louie,” “Girls” is infected with brutal honesty and self-abasement, with no attempt to pretty up non-standard bodies or to paper over unpleasant human impulses. In this regard, the show does have a male sensibility, where sex is humorous or uncomfortable rather than romantic. What the early hype overlooked is that the executive producer of “Girls” is the quintessential guy’s director Judd Apatow. The vision for “Girls” is fundamentally Dunham’s, but she freely admits that Apatow encouraged her to think more expansively about her characters, which is exactly what he did with Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo on “Bridesmaids.” Even if Dunham had wanted to lapse into sentimentality and feel-good storytelling, Apatow would have steered her away. And for that, 700,000 men can be grateful.
Mobile is both its own beast and an increasingly important venue for video. You’ve seen all the reports on mobile video viewing increasing. Much of that increase comes from a growth in complementary TV viewing -- either in looking up videos related to TV content, or tuning into TV shows or clips. But the mobile viewing experience isn’t always pleasant for consumers. In fact, a recent Interactive Advertising Bureau study found that about 61% of consumers say media-related mobile apps aren’t worth downloading, and 54% say media Web sites don’t work very well on phones. But consumers still use mobile devices to access those sites, so what can brands and media sites do to improve the experience for consumers? The key points that advertisers should remember in creating small-screen experiences should include making them fun and useful, and then learning how to cross-promote between venues, the IAB said. To do that, looks for ways to bring viewers more information. The IAB said that talent resource site IMDB sees traffic rise during commercial breaks, so follow its lead and create the type of content viewers will want to look up during a show. “When trying to encourage multiscreen behavior, let viewers know that there’s something waiting for them, right now, that they can’t get elsewhere -- a separate ending, interviews with the cast, clues to an upcoming episode,” the IAB said. Interaction is also a vital behavior to keep in mind, so look for ways to tie in a call to action. “That action might be commercial (a registration or even purchase), but it might also be simply brand-related. Take a virtual test drive of the hero’s car or enter to win a sponsored trip to the set.” Viewers want to get involved, so brands may want to look for voting options, user-generated story lines and mechanisms to submit and share content. It’s also smart to find ways to weave product discovery into a second-screen experience. Mobile phones are becoming powerful shopping tools, so try to link shopping to your show content. The IAB also suggests looking for how-to, educational or self-improvement content to augment what’s on TV. Viewers often discover new things they want to learn or do from TV and then look to mobile phones to carry out those solutions.
A few weeks ago I wrote about what I saw as the transition of the definition of “television.” I started to think about this issue when Nielsen recently lowered its Total U.S. Universe estimate of Television households -- the second time in as many years. But is “television” -- or even “television households,” for that matter -- really best defined using a hardware-based television set definition? And if so, shouldn't it contain all hardware platforms on which one can receive television-based content? Not surprisingly, others in the industry are also re-examining the concept of television and what it has become in today’s several-screen media landscape. At the recent ARF 7.0 Insights conference in New York City, the definition of television was one leitmotif in the discussion of today’s media research landscape. (The other was standardized cross-platform metrics, an obvious corollary to the definition of television and a subject for a future TV Board article). Many prominent industry researchers attend the ARF, and their thoughts on the definition of television were varied and often conceptual. To Lyle Schwartz of GroupM, “TV is delivery of video content,” while for Jeff Boehme of Kantar, “TV is any screen.” Bruce Goerlich of Rentrak said that “TV is episodic (content).” But for Michelle de Montigny, MetrixLab , television is “a friend. It’s a character. It is not just a screen or a picture.” Please click here to see a short video on all of the responses collected at the ARF 7.0 conference. One basis of general agreement was that the definition of television is no longer traditional. It is not the “TV set” hardware. To many, it is much more behavioral and/or content-driven. But if that is so, how can we collect the totality of the television universe and use it to form a universe basis for measurement? As Tom Xenos of MediaVest so aptly said, "What's television? That's a good question. I know what it's not. It's not limited to a TV set anymore. It's not appointment viewing. It's no longer family time. The concept of a fall season premiere is dying off like autumn leaves. And channel numbers only provide comfort to grandparents. But television is constantly changing, evolving, and redefining the viewing experience, and that's the one thing that we can all count on."
We want our TV news shows and newsroom personnel to pursue the facts, the truth -- and maybe be a little smart as well. HBO's new "The Newsroom" does feed into this premise. Critics have already moaned that the creator of the series, Aaron Sorkin, who also created "West Wing," and wrote the movies "Social Network" and "Moneyball," has left some telltale signs of his work: the speechy, preachy, diatribes; the fast-talking quick wits; and the moral high ground. The good ratings for the show premiere -- two point one million viewers -- might convince you that most U.S. television viewers would want our news this way. But it isn't always about newsrooms; the show also has what prime-time entertainment should: good writing, dramatic story lines, and provocative after-thoughts. Sorkin's usual brand of entertainment may not fit the big broadcast networks anymore -- just as Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" doesn’t (as opposed to his "Seinfeld" days) Thus HBO (and Showtime for that matter) seems a good spot for your niche crowds. By way of comparison to "Newsroom”’s ratings, earnest newshounds have given Fox News an average of 1.8 million viewers in prime time during the second quarter 2012; with MSNBC at 674,000 viewers and CNN, a fast-sinking 448,000. What can marketers learn from the show? That getting real news to real TV screens -- even for the BP Oil Spill story that gripped the nation for several months in 2010, the story that was the center of "The Newsroom"'s premiere -- is hard work. And that it’s sometimes difficult to translate mundane details for the average TV viewing public. Those less-dramatic stories can also be difficult. Big financial manipulation stories may be too technical for most people -- though isn't that what put the U.S. and the rest of the world into a still tenuous economic state? Wondering how (and if) "Newsroom" would broach that subject. Marketers like pharmaceutical and financial companies continue to be the big spenders on traditional advertising-supported TV news networks and/or programs. But what's the future: Wildly opinionated news wonks or calmer, straight-ahead news stories? "Newsroom" doesn't seem to look to answer these questions. When it comes to those actual people working behind the scenes, don't always expect reporters/editors with moralistic, rapid-fire opinions about issues and politics. Sometimes it's just a job. Maybe another day that will be a storyline for "Newsroom."