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PPM vs Diary markets
- Thread starter JH_Radio
- Start date
If the PPM encoder is cranked higher than recommended, you can hear the annoying encoding.
My ears are especially sensitive to the "buzz saw" sound.
My ears are especially sensitive to the "buzz saw" sound.
As Frank mentioned, Nielsen-subscribed radio and TV stations, plus some who stream too, watermark/encode information about the station in their audio. When worn on a panelist, the PPM beltpack can hear that watermark, recording and sending the details back to Nielsen for tabulation.
Correct.
Does it send this over the listeners wifi or mobile data?
Why do they have to ware a seperate device when most people have smartphones these days?
I'm aware that cell phone reception isn't a garentee. Perhaps it's not able to listen and send this on a device without internet?
David could answer that question better than I, but I believe the PPM uses cell data to send back what is collected.
Because it's all about controlling the environment and data collection. Using the Nielsen PPM device allows them to have better control from hearing and recording the content/watermark, to sending it back to the mothership. The whole process is consistent with other users in all markets. Using someone's cell phone can't guarantee the quality and consistency of the data collected, nor ensure someone can't tamper with the collection.
PPM market stations can do dead segues, and Jock breaks without saying the station name once.
Then again, one company, with most of their stations in diary, want their stations to mention their Facebook page every break, and mentioning the station name itself is not of concern.
They want people to read the recycled pop culture content on Facebook more so than listen to the actual radio stations.
Then again, the content on Facebook is a little different from station page to station page, where as the programming aired over their Fm signals are identical in every different market.
When they do a live event, I'm not sure that there's a radio talents who shows up there, I think they just send in the clowns.
Then again, one company, with most of their stations in diary, want their stations to mention their Facebook page every break, and mentioning the station name itself is not of concern.
They want people to read the recycled pop culture content on Facebook more so than listen to the actual radio stations.
Then again, the content on Facebook is a little different from station page to station page, where as the programming aired over their Fm signals are identical in every different market.
When they do a live event, I'm not sure that there's a radio talents who shows up there, I think they just send in the clowns.
Data is collected on the PPM device and fed to Nielsen when the device is docked for charging.
Newer designs, which can be worn like a watch or pendant or broche are supposedly able to send data back when they find a compatible carrier. I'm behind on understanding that, and will look for more data.
Absolutely. The MRC (Media Research Council) has not approved the concept of using user-supplied devices like phones as they "un-level" the playing field by not having equal frequency response, sensitivity and directionality.
No, not exactly it. Stations have a strong need to have an identity so that people will come back often and think of it as a "favorite".
Mentioning the name often is critical to drive people back many times each day, week, month.
Very very secondary.,
And that is because Americans in Seattle tend to like the same kinds of formats as Americans in Boston or Houston or Coffeville, KS.
The days of "your friends on the radio" are gone as our friends are on social media. We want different things from radio.
Sorry, I was kind of being tongue in cheek about one of the companies that I once worked for.
I obviously support using Socials for promotion, I feel silly even needing to type that. But this place really does Socials and their site as much more important than what's going over the station feed (I'd just say airwaves but I want to save the time of a mention that there is streaming too, I'm aware of the obvious lol)
I won't go into it, but the ridiculousness for the jocks is far eclipsed by that for sales. Some money is worth a great deal more than other money. I've heard it, I don't agree, but that's down the rabbit hole of the whole mentality over there.
But it's fact that in PPM markets there are Jock breaks without saying the station name at all.
Dead segues are also very common.
I again don't agree, mention the station name as a sweeper over the intro of the song. It's 2, 3 seconds, if you want some minimal segues in a music set just do that.
I obviously support using Socials for promotion, I feel silly even needing to type that. But this place really does Socials and their site as much more important than what's going over the station feed (I'd just say airwaves but I want to save the time of a mention that there is streaming too, I'm aware of the obvious lol)
I won't go into it, but the ridiculousness for the jocks is far eclipsed by that for sales. Some money is worth a great deal more than other money. I've heard it, I don't agree, but that's down the rabbit hole of the whole mentality over there.
But it's fact that in PPM markets there are Jock breaks without saying the station name at all.
Dead segues are also very common.
I again don't agree, mention the station name as a sweeper over the intro of the song. It's 2, 3 seconds, if you want some minimal segues in a music set just do that.
It depends on the format. Dead segues may work in classical music or alternative. They sound very unproduced in CHR or country. The jocks don't have to say the call letters. They instead use imaging to promote the brand. Stations don't use imaging for ratings, but rather for branding. Branding is basic marketing that goes beyond ratings. Branding is important because you want people to remember your brand and talk about it to promote the station to others.
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Maybe on certain stations.
That may be true of certain stations, and in some cases of PDs who do not understand that the PPM does not reduce the need for station identity reinforcement. In fact, the PPC shows people listen for very short, often interrupted, intervals. So knowing where to go back to is critical.
They also probably don't want more data going into the system. Everyone has a cell phone.
How would using panelist's phones increase data going into the system?
PPM panel households are recruited because they fit a specific demographic need to make the panel reflect the measured universe. A panel survey attempts to be a "perfect" miniature replica of the market, identical on every variable.
They don't accept volunteer participants. You must be selected and recruited by Nielsen to be on the PPM panel.
If they had the numbers of every radio listener would that be good or bad for advertisers.
It would be terrible, as they would have sheer numbers and no demographics with breaks on age, gender, ethnicity, education, income and area of residence.
The current system is more than adequate for what advertisers want and need, but is already more expensive than what radio wants to spend. There is no real need for a bigger sample, as the existing one is sufficient for what advertisers want.
There would also be a huge privacy issue, because not everyone wants to participate or give personal information.
There have been radio ratings in the past based on detecting the frequency of a station that is radiated from radios. This goes back to the late 40's in fact.
The assumption is that a signal radiated by a device is "public" and can be used for data. Since nothing personal is revealed, there is no privacy issue.
But as you point out, the only data it would reveal is a number, and not demos. Not very useful in what Nielsen does.
And that was why MobilTRAK failed 20-some years ago.
No demos.
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