Audience Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods

Ken LeClairDirector of ResearchCanadian Broadcasting Corporation

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Audience Research: What is it good for?

“Meaningless statistics were up one-point-fivepercent this month over last month”

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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

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Now that I’ve put you asleep with a definition, on with the presentation!

2 Themes:

1) Overview of audience research2) Quantitative and Qualitative Methods

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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?

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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

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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:

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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.

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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 wasbroadcast.

RATING: The average audience expressed as a percentage of the total population.

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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 18-49Share

%

Reach

Rating Points

Hockey Night In Canada Game 2 Royal Canadian Air Farce CTV Sunday Night Movie CBC National News Another World Oprah Da Vinci's Inquest

CBC

CBC

CTV

CBC

CTV

CTV

CBC

Sat. 7 PM

Fri. 8 PM

Sun. 9 PM

Mon-Fri 10 PM

Mon-Fri 2 PM

Mon-Fri 4 PM

Wed. 9 PM

3 hrs

30 min

2 hrs

30 min

1 hr

1 hr

1 hr

978

1,188

1,064

880

501

426

870

13

15

13

11

21

14

10

22

17

11

10

12 9 9

3,506

1,862

3,396

3,862

925

1,123

1,832

3.3

4.0

3.6

2.9

1.7

1.4

2.9

Source: CBC Research (Nielsen Media Research)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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Ideal Listener Profile (Sample)

Source: CBC Research (Freestyle Study)

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Ideal Listener Profile

A composite of the ideal Freestyle listener might look like this…

androgynous – male or female

interested in Canadian culture enjoys easy listening music

into current arts scene

drives a Toyota Corolla

visits library – is well read and curious

likes gardening

45 years old

loves triviaself-employed, works from home (has time to listen in the afternoon) kinda hip

Source: CBC Research (Freestyle Study)

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VernThe Traditional CBC Listener

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Sandra The New Generation CBC Listener

K-OsK-Os

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‘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.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.”

“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)

Delisle, Sask.

“I need the news in the morning. It’s like putting my clothes on.”

Audience Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods

Ken LeClairDirector of ResearchCanadian Broadcasting Corporation