FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Nielsen test-runs multi-screen TV audience measurement protocol

Nielsen test-runs multi-screen TV audience measurement protocol

AMID the changes in TV viewing behaviour encouraged by media fragmentation, Nielsen (Thailand) has kicked off a test run of multi-screen audience measurement in a bid to boost data quality and TV ratings stability as well as to retain its reputation in th

“Media fragmentation has changed the way people watch TV programmes because of the rise of smartphone users who drove exponential growth of data usage by 80 per cent last year,” Suresh Ramalingam, managing director for Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar, said yesterday.
Mobile commerce-application usage also doubled last year, while mobile advertising is getting noticed by brands and companies. 
Smartphones will become the universal platform for the general public in a few years, Nielsen believes. 
To capitalise on this multi-screen viewing trend, Nielsen is expanding its TV audience measurement to personal-computer, laptop, tablet and smartphone screens. 
“We have been conducting a pilot project of multi-screen rating measurement since early this year. Under the pilot phase, there are 1,500 individual samples from mobile users,” said Somwalee Limrachtamorn, director for client service and the media business. 
 
Viewing patterns
“The full launch of this new measurement is expected to begin next year with 3,000 mobile panels.” 
The mobile TV rating meter will track viewing patterns through Web browsers and live-streaming and time-shift applications. 
To collect the data, Nielsen had to work with broadcasters watching this measurement to implement its software development kit in each broadcaster’s self-developed mobile applications and live-streaming website, said Sinthu Peatrarut, managing director for media-client leadership.
However, some TV programmes posted on other media platforms like YouTube will not be covered by this method. 
Nielsen also has expanded its sample size for the TV audience meter from 1,800 to 2,200 to reach more digital terrestrial and satellite TV viewers. This is expected to boost data quality and the stability of TV ratings. 
The leading media research firm appears to be attempting to retain existing clients’ confidence after the Media Agency Association of Thailand formed the Media Research Bureau to select a new national TV rating meter. 
However, Nielsen did not join this selection and left Germany-based GfK, Japan-based Video Research International and UK-based Kantar Media in the contest.
 
nationthailand