Nielsen Audio Says Goodbye Paper Diary, Hello Mobile Diary.

[DavidEduardo]

Inside Radio reports today that the diary will not be used past 2025.

Nielsen Audio Says Goodbye Paper Diary, Hello Mobile Diary.

Note to radio listeners in Nielsen’s diary markets: It’s time to put your pencil down and pass your paper to the front of the class. After decades as a data

www.insideradio.com

Note to radio listeners in Nielsen’s diary markets: It’s time to put your pencil away and pass your paper to the front of the class. After decades as a data collection instrument for radio, the paper diary is going away. Nielsen Audio plans to deploy a mobile diary in 2025.

“In our small markets or diary markets, the paper diary is being challenged as a data collection instrument in today’s environment,” says Bruce Hoynoski, Measurement Science Business Leader, Global Audience Measurement, Nielsen.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

One of the challenges is surely the cost of the postage and printing material. I recently received a survey from Nielsen (not the media division but the consumer behavior division). The indicia showed postage of $2.42 was paid on that mailer.

It contained a survey totaling over 50 pages that I couldn't be bothered to complete, so it went in the bin.

 

[DavidEduardo]

One of the challenges is surely the cost of the postage and printing material. I recently received a survey from Nielsen (not the media division but the consumer behavior division). The indicia showed postage of $2.42 was paid on that mailer.

The cost is factored in. The big current issue is the slow-down of First Class U.S. Mail, where it may take a package a week to get to the participant and a even more to get back, factoring in the lag time of completing the week and getting the booklet to the mail box..

It contained a survey totaling over 50 pages that I couldn't be bothered to complete, so it went in the bin.

A diary only has one pair of pages per day and a couple for instructions at the front and a couple for comments at the back. All you had to fill in was your name and data on age and gender and ethnicity and then list what you listened to each day.

 

[tbolt909]

Wonder if stations that are heavy in the 60 plus demos will see a negative impact? The perception is that older listeners are not tech savvy and will simply opt out...

 

[DavidEduardo]

Wonder if stations that are heavy in the 60 plus demos will see a negative impact? The perception is that older listeners are not tech savvy and will simply opt out...

The effect of lesser participation rates by any age, gender or ethnic group is to over-recruit. Nielsen must get as close as possible to proportional representation of every stratification variable.

Even if a group under-participates, Nielsen weights them proportionally so stations are not affected.

 

[TheBigA]

I wish I could find the post, but someone suggested this idea a while back. The question was how to do it. I guess they figured it out.

Our phones know more about us than our families. Mine knows where I'm going when I leave the house.

 

[landtuna]

Our phones know more about us than our families. Mine knows where I'm going when I leave the house.

There are many ways to trick your phone. Mine thinks I drive all over the place and it drives the insurance company crazy.

 

[wadio]

It contained a survey totaling over 50 pages that I couldn't be bothered to complete, so it went in the bin.

BINGO! There are people with the time and inclination to complete surveys, and those who never do. That's the problem with surveys, IMO. They are not "random."

 

[DavidEduardo]

BINGO! There are people with the time and inclination to complete surveys, and those who never do. That's the problem with surveys, IMO. They are not "random."

First, the survey is done electronically in the top 50 markets. Yes, not everyone will carry a PPM around, but advertisers accept the results as an adequate measurement of listening.

Second, the Nielsen diary is not 50 pages. It is 7 "spreads" of a double size page plus a cover, an instruction page and an end page for anyone to make "comments" if they wish (not tabulated... only done because it enhances "engagement"). So it is really a cover and 9 wide pages, not 50.

And, like the PPM, ad agencies that buy deeper than the top 50 markets find the diary method adequate for their purpose.

I once asked the media director of a major New York City media buying service what she thought about differences in people who participated in ratings surveys and those who did not. She said that she believed... and the marketing departments of her clients and agencies believed... that those who responded to ratings participation were also those who responded to advertising , so it was actually an advantage "built in" to ratings surveys.