The growing multiplicity of video-consumption devices, such as tablets, smart TVs and gaming consoles, presents a challenge for audience researchers seeking to capture accurately and completely the tuning that occurs on these devices.

This is among the conclusions of the latest research from the CRE’s Return Path Measurement (RPM) Committee, chaired by Patricia Liguori, Senior Vice President, Research & Electronic Measurement, at the ABC Owned Television Stations.

The study was conducted for the CRE by One Touch Intelligence (OTI), a Colorado-based market intelligence and intelligence management company.

"Both the buy and sell sides have the expectation, and rightly so, that all devices on which tuning occurs – not just traditional television sets – be measured and ultimately used as ratings currency," Liguori said. Among the conclusions of the OTI research which suggest the potential for rapid transformation of the device marketplace:

• Despite the broad array of devices, there are two distinct methods of transporting video signals to end users: via the set-top boxes (STBs) of multichannel video program distributors (MVPDs), or via Internet Protocol (IP) from servers to users’ devices.
• The industry requires understanding of how the new delivery mechanisms operate, including the video transport methods, in order to determine where along the transmission path measurement can occur.

Currently, the OTI report notes that the average national penetration of emerging media devices is led by gaming consoles at 56%; followed by DVRs at 44%; Smart TVs and Blu-ray players at a combined 22%; tablets – by all accounts a rapidly growing segment – at 14%; and over-the-top (OTT) STBs, at 11%.

The report also notes:

• OTT STBs show the least promise of growth and may even "be rendered largely obsolete" as consumers gravitate toward gaming consoles and smart TVs;
• Fewer than half of all smart TVs and Blu-ray players currently are connected to the Internet -- thereby precluding access to apps and MVPD content specifically designed for use on these devices. Smart TVs require an Internet connection to become "smart" and their popularity may surge if:
  • broadband penetration increases substantially;
  • MVPDs make their full channel lineups available for these devices;
  • content storage – currently not available on smart TVs – increasingly moves to the Cloud;
• An aggressive rollout by MVPDs of the newer "network" DVRs, where storage is transferred from the DVR’s hard drive to the Cloud – would not only boost smart TV penetration, but also would drive DVR penetration from its current level of 44% "to effectively match the same penetration as digital set-tops."

"The CRE plans to expand this area of study to include the growing use of the Cloud," Liguori noted, "and we’ll be reaching out to various stakeholder groups so we can collectively advance new electronic measurement that will benefit all parties – including buyers, sellers, and device and data owners."

The full whitepaper can be found here on the CRE site.

The CRE's Media Consumption & Engagement (MC&E) Committee, chaired by Joanne Burns, Head of Research, 20th Television, officially launched its study to understand if and how mobile media devices -- tablets, mobile phones and laptops -- impact overall television viewing behavior.

The CRE has retained Boston-based market research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey to conduct the study, the purpose of which includes seeking to improve measurement of mobile media devices. The CRE issued an RFP in 2012.

"Not only is the use of mobile devices growing rapidly; so is its impact on television consumption," Burns said. "So it’s important that the media industry obtain greater understanding not only of methodologies for measuring media consumption on mobile devices, but also the impact on television consumption overall and the implications for content development and advertising."

“This study will complement other research being conducted by Nielsen and the CRE into how multiple platforms influence consumer viewing behavior and will offer additional insight into how these messages reach and resonate with consumers," added Dounia Turrill, SVP and Cross-Platform Practice Lead at Nielsen.

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 television program content (via apps or otherwise) on the device?

The CRE also will seek to:

• Quantify reach and time spent on mobile media; and
• Dimension the conditions surrounding mobile-device use, such as location, time of day, and accompanied/unaccompanied.

The CRE will compare results of the measurement used in this study to the various current industry methodologies employed to collect these data, in order to develop a new set of best practices.

A qualitative phase of the study, exploring users’ motivations and behaviors via in-home interviews, is planned for three markets – Atlanta, Phoenix and Kansas City. The study is expected to be completed by second quarter 2013.

The CRE's ROI Committee, chaired by David Poltrack, Chief Research Officer of CBS Corporation, having received funding and established a set of initial steps toward studying current ROI practices, expects to commission research in the first quarter. Among the Committee’s objectives: to develop an in-depth understanding of principal methods used; to define best practices; and to recommend priority areas for industry improvement. An update on this committee's progress will be provided in the next quarterly newsletter.

Another of the CRE's newest committees, the Local Measurement Committee chaired by Billy McDowell, Vice President of Research at Raycom Media, Inc., also expects to issue a report on diary markets in the first quarter. The Committee plans to complete an analysis of two sets of data Nielsen has provided -- on 10-year trends of relative errors in diary markets, and posted advertising schedules.

The Committee will consider changes in Effective Sample Size and ratings trends over time, and will seek to address questions of interest to both buyers and sellers of these data.

The Committee has issued an RFP and will review all submissions prior to making recommendations to the full Council for final acceptance.

The CRE's Digital Committee, chaired by Bryon Schafer, Director, Research & Sales Strategy at Hulu, is investigating measurement issues related to digital video advertising. An update will be provided in the next quarterly CRE newsletter.

At the Counci's recent quarterly meeting, Stacey Schulman, Senior Vice President and Chief Research Officer, Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB), announced plans to explore the topic of "Big Data." Executives within Nielsen client companies interested in learning more about this effort are encouraged to send a note to info@researchexcellence.com.

The CRE’s Education Committee, which in 2011 initiated an industry-wide resource dedicated to the training of the next generation of audience research professionals. Under the leadership of Sharon Warden, Vice President of Research & Planning, National Association of Broadcasters, the committee is once again reaching out to Nielsen client companies regarding 2013 internships.

Additional information on the resource can be found within the Education Committee's page on the CRE site; a look at prior industry internship openings can be found via an Internship Opportunities "button" on the lower-right portion of the CRE homepage.

If your company has internships listed on your company website and would like targeted, added exposure, please email info@researchexcellence.com.

The Council for Research Excellence LinkedIn Group has more than 260 members and counting. Research professionals and others throughout the media and advertising industries are regularly sharing news and viewpoints. Join the conversation!

Participation within a CRE committee can be a rewarding and sometimes demanding use of members' time. So we'd like to take this opportunity especially to thank members of various CRE committees who are not also full members of the CRE. In this edition we acknowledge participants within the Digital, Media Consumption & Engagement and Return Path Measurement Committees. These people have devoted their time and services to contribute to our committees and help advance the work of the CRE:

Digital Committee: Wayne Goldstein (Sony Pictures Television), Gena Stanglein (Google)

Media Consumption & Engagement Committee: Lynn Gutstadt (Ovation TV)

Return Path Measurement Committee: Ann Casey (Tribune Broadcasting)

In the fourth 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 Patricia Liguori, Senior Vice President, Research & Electronic Measurement, at the ABC Owned Television Stations, who serves as chair of the CRE’s Return Path Measurement Committee, and Kate Sirkin, Executive Vice President, Global Research, at Starcom MediaVest, who serves on both the Digital and Communications Committees.

When did you join the CRE?

Kate: At its 2005 inception. Bruce Goerlich and I split the “seat” when he was at Zenith Optimedia – Starcom’s “cousins” within the Publicis Groupe.

Pat: I’ve also been a member since the Council’s inception in 2005.

What attracted you to serve on the CRE?

Kate: The commitment from Nielsen to spend serious money on projects, driven by the industry, which could improve audience measurement research for the future. No one member company could afford to spend that kind of money alone, and this is a critical area for our business.

Pat: At the time the CRE was founded, TV audience measurement was undergoing more change than what collectively occurred in the prior 30 or even 40 years! People Meters were rolling out in the largest local markets, while the new AP Meter captured the playback – not the recording – of time-shifted content. Online measurement also was finding its footing. Serving on the CRE gave me the opportunity to closely follow the evolution of media measurement and to ensure that local broadcasters had a voice in shaping future local measurement.

What have you found most rewarding from your CRE participation?

Kate: Collaboration from the buy and sell side on critical matters. Commitment from Nielsen to do what the Council recommends and to try to build that into its products going forward.

Pat: Most rewarding was the positive feedback we received about how useful, timely and important our committee’s first study, “The State of Set Top Box Viewing Data,” proved to be when we issued it in 2010.

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

Kate: Several studies have provided a richer, deeper dive than we could ever have afforded to do alone – understanding the cross-media usage of working moms from an observational standpoint; learning the impact of word-of-mouth on TV viewing; and collaborating with online publishers to determine what extended data they have for potential use in targeting and audience exposure guarantees. These are just some examples.

Pat: When existing methodologies are validated and improved, or new ones are devised that provide tuning or behavioral information we previously didn’t have, all companies – buyers, sellers, vendors or advertisers – benefit. From Video Consumer Mapping to Non-Response to Universe Estimates to the State of STB Measurement, CRE studies have either confirmed our direction or helped us set a new course.

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?

Kate: We have a great team at SMG, with very supportive management who invest in talented staff and fund important work and capabilities. We also partner with our great clients, media partners and research companies. Also, as a working mother, I tend to be very focused and efficient too; it’s the only way to survive.

Pat: I don’t sleep! Kidding aside, it’s difficult and sometimes impossible to separate work from pleasure. A few months ago, while watching “Grey’s Anatomy” on the flat-screen TV in my living room, I toyed with my newly-authenticated-by-Time Warner Cable iPad. And I was consumed with questions: What channels did I receive? Is there a time delay between what’s on my TV versus what’s on the iPad? Can I program the STB’s DVR from my iPad? How else are these physically separate devices interacting? At that point, the line between being a TV researcher or your average consumer playing with a new tech toy really blurs! And that’s probably a good thing.

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

Kate: The broad range – from serious methodological issues like response rates in diary homes to the new questions we are trying to answer, such as social media’s effect on TV viewing.

Pat: They’d be surprised at how open and receptive Nielsen has been to many of the issues put forth for study by the various CRE committees. Nielsen has not interfered, even when study results potentially would run counter to existing Nielsen policy or practice.

The CRE hosted its third "Meet the CRE" webinar in November 2012, highlighting the MC&E Committee and its forthcoming study on the impact of mobile-device usage on overall TV viewing. Audio replay and slides for this and future webinars will eventually be made available at the CRE site.

Please join us for future "Meet the CRE" webinars. If you are not already signed up for our webinar alerts, you can sign up at CRE homepage.