The CRE’s Social Media Committee recently launched its first major initiative -- a multi-pronged study to help determine how social media interaction impacts television viewing.

The study encompasses three simultaneous efforts:

1. A quantitative survey, conducted by word-of-mouth research/consulting firm Keller Fay Group, of up to 1,600 participants recruited by Nielsen, all checking in multiple times daily over the course of a week via a mobile app;
2. A social media analytics project undertaken by NM Incite – a joint venture between Nielsen and McKinsey that provides social insights – with social TV analytics for this project provided by Bluefin Labs; and
3. Ethnographies provided by Nielsen’s digital ethnography unit Nielsen Life360, for which 200 panelists will record media/technology usage for seven consecutive days using their own smartphones or Nielsen-provided phones. A subset of users will provide videos to bring their social media and TV engagement to life.

An academic team led by Dr. Peter Fader, professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and co-director of the Wharton Customer Analytics Initiative, will work with Keller Fay, Nielsen, NM Incite and Bluefin Labs to review the data collected from the quantitative and analytics portions of the study.

The CRE seeks answers to these questions among others:

• In the Quantitative phase:
• How do social media interact with television viewing and with other information contact points?
• How do the social media and television viewing behaviors of so-called “super-connectors” – those in the top tier in usage of social-media sites – compare with other viewers’ behaviors?
• In the Analytics phase:
• What insights do social-media conversations provide about television viewing behaviors?
• What are key topics of discussion about television programming in social media?
• What drives positive and negative social media discussions related to programming?
• In the Ethnography phase:
• What are the real-time viewing behaviors – including time spent and concurrent media use – when social networks are part of the viewing experience?
• What attitudes and motivations underlie the usage of one platform over another for TV engagement? What are the key differences in what people say vs. what they actually do?
• What are the “triggers” of activity – including needs, benefits and methods used?

“We will gain insights about new consumer behaviors that have evolved as social media has become more connected to television viewing,” said Beth Rockwood, senior vice president, market resources, Discovery Communications, and chair of the CRE’s Social Media Committee. “This learning will allow us to better understand how viewing patterns are changing and how measurement of those behaviors can be improved. Since no single approach is likely to provide the full picture, we felt it best to study behaviors simultaneously from three different perspectives. In addition to learning about social media and television, we will also gain more insight about the research methods employed.”

The study is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2012.

The CRE’s Return Path Measurement (RPM) Committee (formerly the Set Top Box Committee), chaired by Pat Liguori, Senior Vice President, Research, at the ABC Owned Television Stations, has launched its second project -- to investigate and report on the broad array of technologies currently capable of providing return-path data (RPD) for measurement purposes.

The CRE has engaged One Touch Intelligence (OTI), a Colorado-based market intelligence and intelligence management company, to investigate and report on technologies currently capable of providing RPD for measurement purposes, as well as the application of and growth trends in the use of those technologies. Examples include: set-top boxes deployed by cable TV, direct-broadcast-satellite TV and telco TV providers; game consoles (such as Playstation and Xbox); internet-enabled TVs; mobile devices (including smartphones and tablets); and alternative technologies (such as Roku and Slingbox).

“Return path data from set top boxes increasingly are accepted as a complement or an alternative to the more traditional local television measurement methodologies,” Liguori said. “This is largely due to the greater granularity of RPD as well as its potential to measure ROI more effectively.”

The data provided by OTI is expected to provide a snapshot of the current state of deployment, on a DMA-basis, of the various technologies capable of producing RPD, as well as historic perspective useful in projecting future growth. The project will include an update of the information after six months.

“It’s critical that the media and advertising industries have the best and most complete RPD information available going forward,” Liguori added. “The more knowledge researchers have about RPD samples utilized to measure tuning, the better equipped they are to make real use of these samples. We’ll be better able to understand and interpret the tuning data output; to evaluate the quality of the sample; to determine the presence of sample bias and error; and to estimate future penetration levels by provider, type of service, and other parameters.”

The project is expected to be completed in fourth-quarter 2012.

The Return Path Measurement (formerly Set Top Box) Committee produced a significant study, reported in 2010, on the then-state of set-top box research.

The CRE’s Media Consumption & Engagement (MC&E;) Committee, chaired by Joanne Burns, Head of Research, 20th Television, has received funding from the Council for its study to understand if and how mobile media devices (tablets, mobile phones and laptops) impact overall television viewing behavior. The CRE also seeks to improve measurement of mobile media devices.

Earlier this year the Committee issued a request for proposal (RFP) for the study.

Among the questions the CRE seeks to answer:

• How does concurrent video media usage affect TV viewing, how frequently does it occur, and how does it affect engagement levels?
• Is mobile viewing additive to, or a substitute for, traditional television viewing?
• How does the user access video content (via apps or otherwise) on the device?

The CRE also will seek to:

• Quantify reach and time spent on mobile media;
• Dimension the conditions surrounding mobile-device use, such as location, time of day, and accompanied/unaccompanied; and
• Compare results of the measurement used in this proposed study to the various current industry methodologies employed to collect this data.

The MC&E; Committee’s most recent completed project was the 2011 User Experience (UX) Research Archive.

The recently formed ROI Committee, chaired by David Poltrack, Chief Research Officer of CBS Corporation, held its inaugural meeting and established a set of initial steps toward soliciting proposals for a first stage of studying current ROI practices. Among the steps: to develop an in-depth understanding of principal methods used; to make budget allocations accordingly; to define best practices; and to recommend priority areas for improvement. An update on this committee’s progress will be provided in the next quarterly newsletter.

At the September 20 quarterly meeting of the CRE, the Council hosted a robust discussion of “the future of TV” – including changes in technology and consumption patterns, and what observers see around the next corner.

Guest speakers included Mike Bloxham, Executive Director, Marketing, Media Behavior Institute; Will Jackson, Director of Strategy & Business Development, Intel Media; and Phil Napoli, Professor, Communication and Media Management, Fordham Schools of Business.

The presenters generated lively and thoughtful discussions and offered some interesting viewpoints on the outlook for media -- such as these five predictions from Intel’s Jackson: 1) Connected TV will create stronger connections between talent, producers and audiences; 2) The network landscape will transform to reflect a “fatter head and longer tail”; 3) Engagement and transactions will replace ratings as a currency; 4) Your “Klout score will pay your TV bill”; and 5) Ad “intolerance” will reach a tipping point and drive rapid format innovation.

A replay of the audio of the presentations will be available at the CRE site shortly.

The CRE welcomes its newest members:

• Cheryl Brink, Vice President, Digital Research & Analytics, Scripps Networks Interactive
• Laura Cowan, Research Director, LIN Media
• Tanya Giles, Executive Vice President, Strategic Insights and Research, Viacom Entertainment Group
• Jed Meyer, U.S. Research Director, Annalect, a unit of Omnicom Media Group
• Bryon Schafer, Director of Research and Sales Strategy, Hulu LLC
• Stacey Schulman, Senior Vice President and Chief Research Officer, Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB)

The CRE encourages audience research executives to apply for membership – to share views and ideas with fellow research leaders and to become part of our effort to advance the quality and practice of audience research. We also invite researchers interested in our work who simply would like to join one of our Committees. In either case, please drop us a note at info@researchexcellence.com.

The Council for Research Excellence LinkedIn Group has more than 200 members and counting. Research professionals and others throughout the media and advertising industries are regularly sharing news and viewpoints. Join the conversation!

In the third in a series of discussions with CRE members – one each from the “buy-side” and “sell-side”– about their roles within the CRE and how the work of the CRE helps in their own everyday efforts, we speak to Brad Adgate, Senior Vice President, Research, at Horizon Media, and David Poltrack, Chief Research Officer of CBS Corporation.

When did you join the CRE?

Brad: I joined the CRE in 2008

David: 2005, shortly after it was formed.

What attracted you to serve on the CRE?

Brad: I read up on the organization and it sounded intriguing to me. I thought it would be great to meet up with fellow media researchers in a less formal setting, exchange ideas, discuss industry trends, collaborate on projects, exchange notes and to learn from each other. I think researchers tend to be more down to earth than other media professionals and this is an ideal setting. It’s kind of like that Doris Kearns Goodwin book on Lincoln’s cabinet -- “Team of Rivals.”

David: I was drawn by the concept it would bring together buyers, sellers and various constituencies to do cooperative research that had funding significant enough to be relevant. And that’s key. Industry participants -- and an impressive group at that – can, thanks to the generosity of Nielsen, do substantive work. Past attempts to have this kind of enterprise lacked budget.

What attracted you to your particular CRE committee?

Brad: I serve on the Communications Committee; the Council has done some breakthrough research and to get that word out is important. Getting the industry to recognize the CRE and make the website a destination for the media industry is also important. I work a lot with my company’s Corporate Communications team, so it made additional sense. I also serve on the Digital Committee which is, in many regards, where the industry is headed -- and a lot of insights and ideas have been uncovered there as well.

David: The recently formed ROI Committee, which I chair, addresses an area I’ve always wanted to explore – and it fits exactly the CRE criteria. Essentially it is the subject of great significance to buyers and sellers – a very important area that by definition requires a significant investment to investigate seriously. This was the case where you had the right players and the necessary funding. In the complex media world of today, where all players are asking for more accountability, the opportunity to provide that in a collaborative way is uniquely possible through the CRE.

What have you found most rewarding from your CRE participation?

Brad: Besides the common cause of fellow members, there is a lot of work that needs to be done with audience measurement and the CRE has, through its various committees, put its fingers on identifying and prioritizing some of these bigger issues confronting audience measurement and media research.

David: The collaborative aspect of the enterprise. The CRE has a real, collegial spirit where everyone is working to serve the industry and the research profession by putting aside their own vested or parochial interests and points of view. We all benefit from getting the right answers. Projects so far have reflected that openness and willingness to find the right answers. It’s nice to be working with really bright people in a collegial, open environment.

How would you say your own company has been able to benefit from the work to-date of the CRE?

Brad: The CRE is limited to only 40 members, so to be a member and represent your company speaks well of the company I represent. There is also a limited number of agency/media companies so I think it’s important that my company has a “place at the table” at the CRE.

David: Let’s take for example the Video Consumer Mapping (VCM) study. It came at a time when people were questioning the efficacy of the “old” media and the role of the “new” media. That study reassured marketers of the continued value of legacy media – that, while the consumer became a more challenging person to reach, that person was still available to marketers through mass-media advertising. It reassured advertisers of their investment and set a benchmark that could be expanded upon. It also was an ideal situation of bringing together the technology and funding you need to do it right, and to get beyond self-reported information. It can be very difficult to ask people to self-report -- they may not remember, for example – and it’s hard for traditional research techniques to capture consumers’ actual activities. The ethnographic approach was ideal in this case -- and it would have been prohibitively expensive for any individual entity to undertake.

How has your interaction with your peers in audience research changed or evolved since you joined the CRE?

Brad: I have met and renewed friendships with many of the members. Some of them I have known for years and some were at one time even co-workers. We often wind up discussing the common industry issues we are facing and offer suggestions. It’s a very friendly atmosphere.

David: The CRE provides a real forum for people who often see each other in different venues. We attend the same conferences, we are on both sides of transactions, but we never really work as collaboratively as we do when we meet as the CRE. It’s a gathering of really good people from all different facets of the advertising, media and research communities – and not for just another business meeting or social event.

Given the rapid growth and change in the ways media are consumed, audience research can be demanding. How do you manage all that you handle in your job?

Brad: I read a lot. I probably read as much consumer as trade press -- newspapers, business and tech magazines. I scour the Internet as well for relevant topics. I find myself doing a deep dive into a particular area and then moving to another topic after that. Right now it’s the London Olympics; I am fascinated about the different screens and how consumers used them both in the United States and around the world. I am looking forward to the findings of (NBC President of Research) Alan Wurtzel’s “billion dollar research lab.”

David: It is an increasing challenge to juggle everything. It really comes down to putting together a good team and allowing the team members to expand their own horizons so as to free you up to become more involved in the CRE, the ARF and other organizations working on the big issues. It’s important that I maintain that contact with people on the advertiser, agency and research sides as we are all increasingly challenged with what to do within our own companies. So I go out of my way to maintain those professional relations. And I’ve been fortunate enough to develop a supportive team.

Where do you see room for improvement in the approach to audience research?

Brad: Everyone is looking for better ROI metrics -- especially advertisers. I think local television measurement needs a lot of improvement as well, which Nielsen is working on. But really there are so many areas that need improvement in audience research.

David: There’s a tendency on the researcher’s side to look for the perfect solution and on management’s side to look for a quick and expedient solution. I think the challenge we have is to produce work that satisfies management’s needs and the researchers’ needs -- to do research in a positive way and to apply that in our corporate environments in a way that can be embraced by senior management. It’s important that research is not seen as arcane but is rather seen as an essential component. In the age of social networking, we have to rise above the din of the conversation.

What do you think might surprise Nielsen clients the most about the work of the CRE?

Brad: That Nielsen is not as “involved” as you would think and their presentations at quarterly meetings are very informative and at times even fascinating. There is also no “hidden agenda”; everything is discussed using a Parliamentary process.

David: That Nielsen has committed not only the funds but the management support to the enterprise and has embraced the individual members of the CRE in what they want to pursue and how they pursue it. Nielsen has provided intellectual capital too. It’s unprecedented and to be applauded, as is Nielsen’s willingness to accept the judgment of members as to how the funds are used. I don’t know of such a business arrangement in any other industry. It’s a smart move on Nielsen’s part and has resulted in not only significant learning between Nelsen and the research community but a better understanding and overall relationship – including here at CBS too.

The CRE hosted its second “Meet the CRE” webinar in July 2012. Audio replay and slides for this and future webinars will eventually be made available at the CRE site.

Please join us for our next “Meet the CRE” webinar, on Tuesday, November 13, 2012, at 2pm ET. If you are not already signed up for our webinar alerts, you can sign up at CRE homepage.