January 25, 2023
CBS Says Its Viewers Are Bigger Consumers Than Rivals
- by Wayne Friedman , May 4, 2015
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into the upfront marketplace, CBS now claims No. 1 status across virtually all consumer product categories. In new analysis using data from Nielsen Buyer Insights and Rentrak Polk Automotive, CBS says its prime-time lineup delivers more consumers who purchase a wide range of products than any other network -- including all automotive categories, moviegoers, financial, restaurant, retail, and travel.
“The premium shows that will deliver the most reach against the product users for advertisers are mostly on CBS,” David Poltrack, chief research officer of CBS Corp, told Media Daily News. “What separates us from the other guys is that we have the audience.”
He adds: “We can provide in-depth targeting just like digital can provide in-depth targeting.” The data comes from Nielsen and Rentrak, in relation to all prime-time programs, excluding sports, from September 22, 2014 to January 31, 2015.
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For example, CBS says it has more top 20 shows with moviegoers than other networks. For those frequent moviegoers, CBS has 10 shows to NBC’s 3, ABC, 4, and Fox's 1.
For all automotive categories, CBS says it also has the most shows compared to other networks: For full-size automobiles, CBS has 14 of the top 20 shows; NBC, 3; ABC, 2; and Fox, 1. In mid-size SUVs, CBS has 12 shows; NBC, 4; ABC; 2; and Fox, 2.
In the casual dining category, CBS has 12 of the top 20 shows, followed by ABC at 4, NBC with 3 and Fox at 1. For electronics stores, CBS has 14 of the top 20 shows, followed by NBC and ABC, both at 3, and none for Fox. CBS says it has more shows for travelers, and in the airline category, CBS has 14; ABC, 5; NBC, 3; and CBS, 1.
“We are going to be fashioning our recommended schedules to these advertisers based on comprehensive and precise marketing,” says Poltrack.
Still, the media-buying currency of the upfront will not change for CBS.
“We expect the transactional aspects of the marketplace to continue be based on age/sex guarantees,” says Poltrack. “For if the market to run more smoothly across all product and categories, that is necessary.”
Still, he says: “Actual conversations are going to be based on these product user definitions.”
What I get from this is that CBS has higher average minute ratings than its competitors among various key consumer groups, not that a higher proportion of its viewers are necessarily better consumer prospects. The first dimension concerns reach per commercial minute; the second concerns audience composition. The two are not the same thing. Nevertheless, I support any effort to get time buyers to consider product purchase or usage data as a qualifier ----or tie breaker----when considering one network program package as opposed to another and, especially, as a way to nudge a seller into offering a different mix of shows in its package, so long as the overall age/sex audience guarantees and attendent cost per rating point calculations aren't severely compromised. It's encouraging to see this initiative coming from CBS, which has often been forced to de-value many of its viewers because they were older than 49 or 54 years of age. With the median age of ABC, CBS and NBC primetime viewers fast approaching 60 years, it's time for all sellers as well as buyers to recognize the value of viewers based on how they behave in the marketplace, not merely how old they are.