Data collection adjusted for digital-TV ad spending report
After facing heavy criticism over its monthly television advertising-expenditure reports on the industry, Nielsen (Thailand) clarified yesterday that its database on ad spending - particularly from digital terrestrial-TV channels - had been adjusted with
Since 24 digital-TV channels commenced operations last year, the media and broadcasting industry has asserted that the estimates of advertising spending reported by Nielsen (Thailand) do not reflect the real situation in the market.
For example, for the period from January to July this year, its data on ad spending on digital channels indicated a 1,029-per-cent surge, from Bt1.92 billion to Bt21.67 billion.
In response to the criticism, Sinthu Peatrarut, managing director for media-clients at the company, said yesterday that he had already talked with all broadcasters in digital terrestrial-TV business about fixing the problem by providing more details about ad spending on their channels.
They had responded positively to Nielsen’s requirements, he said.
"The newly revised data for digital-TV advertising spending will be based on the standard rate card provided by each digital-TV operator, in combination with the consent and acknowledgement of the clients and the industry," he explained.
The newly generated data will be ready for the industry next month, he added.
The move is part of Nielsen’s strategy to form a deeper engagement with the industry after the Media Agency Association of Thailand established the Media Research Bureau as a spearhead to hire another private media-research company to oversee a new TV-ratings system.
Facing this challenge from a new rival, Suresh Ramalingam, Nielsen’s managing director for Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar, stressed that his company had committed to Thailand by leveraging its global expertise and would continue to invest in new methods of TV audience measurement in order to better align itself to market needs.
"Our investment in Thailand is for the long term. We have been here for about 30 years," he said.
To keep its operational base in Thailand, Sinthu said his company was experimenting with the possibility of measuring TV ratings via online communication devices such as personal computers, laptops, tablets and smart phones.
This new method – called "digital content rating" – will observe viewing behaviour and TV-programme popularity through online devices, and the tool is expected to be available soon.
In a bid to boost data quality and the stability of its TV ratings, the company from last year expanded the sample size for the TV audience meter from 1,800 to 2,200 to reach more digital- and satellite-TV viewers.
