Dear Diary: Nielsen Going Year-Round
As the announcement says, “This more dynamic measurement solution enables clients to see seasonal shifts and react more quickly to marketplace changes. With this transition, radio will be able to find new insights and tell its reach story to advertisers each month.”
The implementation of Continuous Diary Measurement will begin in phases, with the first starting in July 2019 in the markets currently measured four times a year. The current four-book markets will convert to 12 currency releases that will comprise three months of data starting with the May/June/July 2019 report period. Effective with July 2019, approximately 70% of radio’s ad spend will be reported monthly by Nielsen Audio.
“With digital advertising providing near real-time metrics and TV moving to a year-round model, audio needs to compete on a level playing field,” said Jeff Warshaw, CEO of Connoisseur Media and Vice-Chair of the Nielsen Audio Advisory Council. “As a client and member of the Advisory Council, I’ve challenged Nielsen to think differently and deliver a better solution. This is an important step forward for diary market clients because it will help audio remain relevant in an environment where advertisers expect more timely data and greater accountability. We should never forget that our advertiser clients are what matter most. They deserve the most timely data we can provide.”
Going forward, Nielsen plans to deliver monthly reports, covering six months of data in markets with at least 1,000 metro in-tab, and monthly reports covering 12 months of data in the smallest markets. Nielsen currently reports larger diary markets four times a year; mid-sized diary markets twice a year in the spring and fall and the smallest markets with two-book averages of Spring/Fall and Fall/Spring.