Nielsen in TV ratings business 'for long haul'
Nielsen (Thailand) insists that it will continue investing on TV audience measurement for the long haul even though the Media Agency Association of Thailand is set to select a new TV rating house.
"There were only five days until the application deadline. We didn’t get any detailed information about the scope of the tender. This was insufficient time and information for our board’s approval, so we decided not to join the selection," managing director Suresh Ramalingam said yesterday.
"From our presence in the country for more than two decades, our business is for the long term and we commit to investing in our core business – media and market research – for our clients here," he said.
Despite having a new ratings player in the Bt80-billion TV broadcasting industry, Nielsen still believes that its TV audience measurement will remain the main currency.
Sinthu Peatrarut, Nielsen’s managing director for media client leadership, said his company would expand its sample size from 1,800 homes to 2,200 by next year to accommodate the 24 new terrestrial-based digital TV channels.
In preparation for the rapid change in the media ecosystem, mainly driven by advanced wireless broadband Internet infrastructure, the leading media research firm is planning to conduct multi-screen measurement for online media by the third quarter of this year.
It will go on roadshows to introduce this new cutting-edge service to potential clients this year.
Sinthu declined to disclose how much would be spent for this new measurement.
Clients would also have the chance to get more insightful data on consumer behaviour, attitudes and return on investment, he said.
