Audience Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods Ken LeClair Director of Research Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Audience Research: What is it good for? Meaningless statistics were up one-point-five percent this month over last month 1
But first, what is it? Popular images of Audience Research most often relate to ratings research around TV and Radio It s actually broader than that, using many different techniques and looking at a wide variety of events and media Definition of Audience Research: Using social science and market research techniques to study the traits of actual and potential audiences. As technology changes research has adapted to include web, podcasting, telephone downloads, etc. This presentation will deal mostly with TV and Radio 2
Now that I ve put you asleep with a definition, on with the presentation! 2 Themes: 1) Overview of audience research 2) Quantitative and Qualitative Methods 3
What types of questions can audience research answer? Four questions: How many and what types of people are watching or listening? Why do people watch or listen to the shows they do, and what kinds of shows do people want? How can I create a show that people will come to? How do I let potential viewers and listeners know about the shows I think they want to use? 4
How many and what types of people are watching? This is generally answered by ratings research Ratings are designed to track how programs are performing in terms of attracting different types of people They are used by: Network management to evaluate how their schedules are performing Producers and programmers to judge what types of programming is attractive to viewers Network sales and advertising agencies to buy and sell time 5
Ratings Research: Diaries vs. Meters Diary Measurement: A self-administered system to track daily media usage The respondent tracks daily radio or television habits in a diary, recording the station and program quarter hour by quarter hour Results are mailed to the supplier for tabulation The diary format looks something like this: 6
Ratings Research: Diaries vs. Meters People Meters: An electronic media monitoring system where minute-by-minute viewing behaviour is tracked. A panel based system, with groups in Designated Market Areas across the country. Panelists are all volunteers. The television set is measured for channel selection, and viewers report who is watching by a push button system. Next day results. 7
More definitions! REACH: The total number of people who watched at least one minute, or listened for at least one-quarter hour of a program. AVERAGE MINUTE AUDIENCE/AVERAGE QUARTER HOUR AUDIENCE: The average number of people that are watching a program each minute throughout the broadcast. The average number of people listening to a program through each quarter hour of the broadcast. SHARE: The average audience expressed as a percentage of the number of people watching or listening at the time a program was broadcast. RATING: The average audience expressed as a percentage of the total population. 8
An illustration of the different audience measures. October 12 to October 18, 2000 - All Persons 2+ Program Network Day/Time Duration AMA (000) Share % Men 18-49 Share % Reach Rating Points Hockey Night In Canada Game 2 CBC Sat. 7 PM 3 hrs 978 13 22 3,506 3.3 Royal Canadian Air Farce CBC Fri. 8 PM 30 min 1,188 15 17 1,862 4.0 CTV Sunday Night Movie CTV Sun. 9 PM 2 hrs 1,064 13 11 3,396 3.6 CBC National News CBC Mon-Fri 10 PM 30 min 880 11 10 3,862 2.9 Another World CTV Mon-Fri 2 PM 1 hr 501 21 12 925 1.7 Oprah CTV Mon-Fri 4 PM 1 hr 426 14 9 1,123 1.4 Da Vinci's Inquest CBC Wed. 9 PM 1 hr 870 10 9 1,832 2.9 Source: CBC Research (Nielsen Media Research) 9
Why do people watch or listen to the shows they do, and what kinds of shows do people want? Ratings tell you who has historically watched or listened, but tells you nothing directly about motivation. Various other methodologies help researchers figure out motivations and, therefore help programmers no how to more effectively produce programs appropriate to their audiences. Surveys Focus Groups Program tests 10
Surveys: Telephone or mail questionnaires Applications measuring tastes, attitudes and motivations for using media measuring how people react to current and proposed programs Measuring related lifestyle phenomena Strengths Generalizations and standardized Cost effective Weaknesses Best when you know what questions to ask Can t get deep or spontaneous answers to specific content Not very flexible 11
Focus Groups bring small groups of people in to respond to content through group discussion Applications Bring small groups into a facility to get their reactions to content or ideas Exploring how people think about things Getting reactions and ideas in people s own words Strengths Flexible Good for exploring Good for gauging in depth or complex reactions and feelings Weaknesses Not easily generalized to a larger population Results are often ambiguous Content experienced in un-natural setting 12
Program Tests mail out content and follow up with a survey Applications Testing video or audio, either existing programs or pilots Use a small sample of people (100-200) send them material to watch in their own homes Have them answer questions over the phone Strengths Allows research to get reaction to specific content from a large number of people Content is experienced in natural setting Weaknesses Isn t as easily to generalize as survey results Not as flexible or as in-depth as focus groups 13
How can I create a show that audiences will come to? Surveys, focus groups and program tests can all be used in helping develop programs as well as gauging reaction to existing ones it is just another stage in the process Rather than measuring reaction to existing programs you try out ideas or concepts Easier in focus groups and program tests than in surveys it is easier to show people new things than to describe them In practice ratings, surveys, focus groups and program tests are all used at different stages of developing new programming and targeting it at appropriate audiences 14
Other Qualitative Approaches 1) One on One Interviews 2) Ethnographic Interviews Strengths Flexible Good for exploring Good for gauging in depth or complex reactions and feelings No group dynamic Weaknesses Not easily generalized to a larger population Results are often ambiguous Can take place in natural setting that can add to quality and nature of information 15
The CBC s Relevance Gap While many feel the CBC is accessible, many others feel distant as this description of an imaginary CBC Arts & Culture Party suggests A man playing a cello, very relaxing, very well dressed people, lots of beautiful art, beautiful sculptures displayed and the artists were there, standing by their work, willing to explain and answer questions, but very rich, very expensive, something that you have to save for a whole year to go to, and the cello was playing. (Focus Group Respondent, Edmonton) Stuffy party with CEO s and producers diamond and emeralds would be flashing evening dress and black tie classical music and low key. (Vancouver) Many also felt that they would not fit in at the CBC party. I would hope the violins wouldn t screech to a halt [when they saw me]. (Focus Group Respondent, Vancouver) I don t think they d be particularly interested in me, because I m just an ordinary person. (Edmonton) They would not be friendly. They would wonder who we are and why are we there? (Winnipeg) Source: CBC Research (Arts & Culture Study) 16
Ideal Listener Profile (Sample) Source: CBC Research (Freestyle Study) 17
Ideal Listener Profile A composite of the ideal Freestyle listener might look like this interested in Canadian culture enjoys easy listening music into current arts scene likes gardening visits library is well read and curious 45 years old androgynous male or female drives a Toyota Corolla self-employed, works from home (has time to listen in the afternoon) kinda hip loves trivia Source: CBC Research (Freestyle Study) 18
Vern The Traditional CBC Listener 19
Sandra The New Generation CBC Listener K-Os 20
Off The Veranda in-field, on the street research (CBC News Study) Talked with people in their homes, in the cars on the way to work, on public transit, in coffee shops and bars, fitness clubs, community centres, wherever they hung out and were likely to be consuming news. This took place in all the centres visited, (Halifax, Truro, Montreal, Toronto, Huntsville, Saskatoon, Calgary, Lethbridge, Vancouver, Nanaimo) but also in many smaller markets in between. Bracebridge, Ont. I drive a school bus. I gotta know the road conditions because it affects timing and sometimes even the route I take. Source: CBC Research (CBC News Study) Toronto, Ont Can you imagine people ever having the time to work out, listen to music and watch news all separately. God, that seems like some kind of fantasy world. If I didn t do all three at once, I d never get to work. Delisle, Sask. I need the news in the morning. It s like putting my clothes on. 21
Audience Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods Ken LeClair Director of Research Canadian Broadcasting Corporation