Posts for 'Nielsen'

  • For YouTube, Size and Youth Matter Most

    YouTube has been the undisputed 800-pound gorilla of the online video market since the beginning of time. And it's key message to advertisers at last night's "Brandcast" NewFront event was to emphatically remind them of its massive size and its reach into the youth market, factors it believes should drive advertisers' attention and spending.

    Whereas last year's Brandcast was all about the 100 new channels that YouTube was funding/launching, this year's event was more of a return to its roots: it's ability to give native digital talent the platform to reach and grow huge audiences. Because a lot of this talent resonates first and foremost with younger digital natives (in Nielsen parlance "Generation C"), YouTube says it's in a unique position to deliver these audiences.  YouTube cited Nielsen data that it reaches more 18-34-year-olds than any cable network.

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  • Netflix Reports Solid Q1 Results, But Can It Actually Grow to 2-3 Times HBO's Size?

    Netflix reported solid Q1 results yesterday, gaining 2 million streaming subscribers in the U.S. and another 1 million internationally. Netflix now has 27.9 paying subscribers in the U.S. and 6.33 paying subscribers internationally. With growth re-started since the 2011 Qwikster debacle, a persistent question is how big can Netflix become in the U.S.?

    Traditionally many have thought the answer is in the 30 million subscriber range, which is where the biggest premium channel, HBO, has pretty much leveled out. This line of thinking assumes that Netflix is essentially another premium channel and consumers will treat it as such.

    But Netflix's CEO Reed Hastings always answers the size question by asserting that Netflix can grow to become 2-3 times HBO's size, implying 60-90 million subscribers ultimately. He points to differentiators like Netflix having more content, being less expensive and available on more devices, having greater personalization, etc.

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  • Does Strong SVOD Adoption in Wealthier Homes Suggest Slower Subscriber Growth Ahead?

    At starting prices of $8/month or so, affordable subscription video on demand (SVOD) services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon, Blockbuster and others would seem to appeal to middle and lower income Americans. But a new report from Nielsen finds the exact opposite is true: wealthier homes, with household income over $100K/year, adopt SVOD services at 185% of their index, while lower income homes, with household income under $50K/year, subscribe at just 47% of their index.

    Adding to the picture, "Professional" homes subscribing to an SVOD service are at 150% of their index, while "Blue Collar" homes are just 63% of their index.

    The data seems to support a contention that Netflix has repeatedly made, which is that SVOD services are typically adopted in addition to - not in substitution for - pay-TV services. To the extent that pay-TV rates have continue to increase, it makes sense that only upper income homes can afford to then layer on an SVOD service on top of pay-TV.

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  • Sharethrough Finds Higher Brand Lift for Native Video Ads vs. Pre-Roll

    Native advertising, which refers to branded content or ad messages that are cohesively integrated directly into web sites, are getting lots of attention these days as an alternative to pre-roll video advertising. A study released by Sharethrough and Nielsen today is putting some brand lift performance numbers behind the debate.

    Using Nielsen's Online Brand Effect tool to measure viewer response, the native advertising technology specialist found that five campaigns it studied produced higher brand lift from native advertising exposure than from pre-roll video impressions. In a campaign for the soft drink brand Jarritos, exposure to native ad content elevated favorable brand perceptions by 82%, compared with 2.1% lift among those who saw pre-roll ads. In another for a CPG brand, native ads drove a 42.2% brand lift vs. none for pre-roll ads. (see infographic below)

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  • VideoNuze Podcast #171 - More on Zero-TV Homes, TV Everywhere's Embarrassment and Binge-Viewing

    I'm pleased to present the 171st edition of the VideoNuze podcast with my weekly partner Colin Dixon of nScreenMedia. Leading us off today, Colin digs into Nielsen's new "zero-TV" homes data, part of its Q4 '12 Cross-Platform report. When Colin crunches the numbers, he concludes that the  U.S. pay-TV industry may have lost 1.1 million subscribers last year, who moved into the zero-TV category.  That would be above other estimates, which range from flat to down about 500K.

    Of course one of the industry's key initiatives to add value has been TV Everywhere, and on that front, there were refreshingly candid admissions this week from both David Levy, head of Turner's sales, distribution and sports, who said he was "embarrassed" at TV Everywhere's progress, and Lauren Zalaznick, NBCU's chairman, entertainment and digital networks, who said it's too confusing. Both are right, and there are other reasons as elaborated in the recent Ultimate Guide to TV Everywhere (free download).

    Contributing to the pressure on pay-TV providers is the ever-expanding range of quality content available online, and 2 more efforts surfaced this week, Conde Nast's new digital video network, and VEVO TV, a 24x7 music video network.

    Separate, Colin has released his excellent new white paper, "Second-Screen Apps for TV" (free download here)

    And a reminder to sign up for "Sizing Up Apple TV" a free video webinar on April 2nd featuring Brightcove's Jeremy Allaire and me.
        
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  • Growth in "Zero-TV" Homes is Zero Surprise

    Nielsen's new Q4 '12 Cross-Platform Report has identified just over 5 million "zero-TV" homes in the U.S., as Nielsen calls them, an increase from 2 million in 2007. Not to be confused, these aren't homes without TVs (75% of them still have at least one); rather they are homes that don't receive programming over traditional platforms (i.e. pay-TV and broadcast). Instead, almost half of them (48%) opt for OTT services like Netflix, Hulu Plus and others for content.

    The growth in "zero-TV" homes should come as zero surprise. In fact, if there's anything surprising, it's that the number isn't already higher. But who these zero-TV homes are is less clear: are they cord-cutters or cord-nevers? The fact that almost half of them are under 35 suggests many are cord-nevers. Yet, the 2 main reasons for not subscribing to pay-TV (36% due to cost and 31% due to lack of interest) suggests many cord-cutters. Either way, with only 18% of them considering subscribing to pay-TV, most may well be "permanently cordless" and beyond the industry's promotional efforts.

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  • Adap.tv Now Optimizing Audience Targeting Against Nielsen and comScore Data

    Online video ad buying continues to shift toward, but also improve upon, conventional TV ad buying, with the latest evidence that Adap.tv is now optimizing audience targeting against data from Nielsen and comScore.

    As Toby Gabriner, Adap.tv's president, explained to me, the process starts with an algorithm the company has developed to predict a publisher's audience composition. The algorithm is based on numerous data "signals" (e.g. content type, time of day, browsing behavior, 3rd party profiling, etc.) that are continuously updated. The audience profiles are then used to focus on impressions that should index high against Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings (OCR) and comScore Validated Campaign Essentials (VCE).

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  • VideoNuze-TDG Podcast #150 - How On-Demand Viewing is Disrupting TV Viewership and Advertising

    Colin Dixon, senior partner at The Diffusion Group and I are back for the 150th (whoohoo!) edition of the weekly VideoNuze-TDG podcast. This week Colin and I talk about how on-demand viewing - through both DVRs and online - is changing the landscape for TV networks and advertisers.

    First up, Colin shares some eye-opening numbers from the start of this year's TV season, as reported by the NY Times. Certain shows like NBC's "Revolution" and "The New Normal" plus CBS's "Hawaii Five-o" gained a whopping 40% more viewers due to DVR-based viewing in the 3 days following their premieres. This new viewing dynamic, particularly among the coveted 18-49 cohort, underscores the new reality of on-demand's importance in assessing a show's potential. Premiere night alone is no longer determinative (if it ever was!).

    On-demand viewing is also a conundrum for advertisers and agencies when creating media plans. And that's why this week's announcement by Nielsen of its Cross-Platform Campaign Ratings solution is a big step forward in monetizing audiences across screens. Online has emerged alongside DVRs as a legitimate viewing alternative, and advertisers need to harness its potential. Colin and I discuss how Cross-Platform helps create a "common currency" measurement with TV, which will appeal to TV ad buyers, while helping content providers better value their online ad inventory. It's a complicated topic, but as Colin notes, the shift from "broadcaster-centric to consumer-centric" is causing huge ripple effects in the ecosystem.

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  • Nielsen's Cross-Platform Ratings Should Drive Higher Video Ad Spending

    Yesterday Nielsen made its Cross-Platform Campaign Ratings commercially available, following trials by GroupM, ESPN, Facebook, Hulu and Unilever. Cross-Platform provides, for the first time, "unduplicated and incremental reach, frequency and GRP measures for TV and Internet advertising." Cross-Platform brings together Nielsen's Online Campaign Ratings (OCR) with its longstanding national TV panel.

    The Cross-Platform launch follows Nielsen's announcement two weeks ago that 15 leading video and digital ad platforms have integrated OCR, plus last week's news that the CW Network will use OCR to measure its online viewership and offer demographic guarantees for online advertisers for the 2012-2013 TV season. As I explained last week, Cross-Platform is so critical to online video advertising because it helps align the ecosystem with media buying expectations of the multi-billion dollar TV advertising industry.

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  • Measurement Milestone: 15 Ad Platforms Adopt Nielsen's Online Campaign Ratings

    Talk to anyone involved in the business of online video advertising and they will quickly say that the number one challenge to increased spending is better audience measurement. If only advertisers and agencies had a TV-style Gross Rating Points (GRP) metric - not just impression and clickthrough levels - to gauge the effectiveness of their spend, then traditional TV ad dollars would flow more freely into online video campaigns. Inevitably, the online measurement discussion focuses on Nielsen, the undisputed king of TV ratings, whose measurement standard is the common currency for billions in brand advertising dollars.

    And that's why Nielsen's announcement yesterday, that 15 leading video and digital ad platforms - which together deliver thousands of online video ad campaigns and billions of impressions - are integrating Nielsen's Online Campaign Ratings (OCR) for use by their clients in campaign planning and analysis is a big milestone. As Amit Seth, Nielsen's EVP of Global Media Products explained to me late yesterday, these new partners will help cement OCR as an "online GRP" helping them to establish accountability and ROI quantification, two pre-requisites for traditional TV advertisers.

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  • Google/YouTube: Research Shows Lighter TV Viewers Primed for Online Video Ads

    It's no secret that with consumer behavior fragmenting over different video sources and media-related activities, advertisers are having a tougher time than ever reaching their targeted audiences. Especially elusive are younger, lighter TV viewers. No surprise, these lighter viewers skew younger with about 31% of 18-49 age group in the category. They're also choice targets for advertisers: they're wealthier, more educated and more diverse.

    To help prove the efficacy of online video advertising as a method for reaching these viewers, yesterday Google/YouTube and Nielsen released new research demonstrating that lighter TV viewers (who average 39 minutes per/day) are more effectively and cost-efficiently reached with online video advertising that compliments traditional TV advertising.

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  • Nielsen Keeps Trying To Crack the Online Video Measurement Nut

    Yesterday's news that Nielsen is collaborating with GroupM, the largest media buyer in the world, to introduce "Nielsen Cross-Platform Campaign Ratings," is the latest move by the Nielsen to get its arms around the elusive problem of coherently measuring online video advertising. As I recently wrote, many in the advertising and content community believe there's a "measurement crisis" as video consumption rapidly splinters to numerous new connected devices.

    Given that "what can't be measured, can't be sold," cohesive online video measurement is essential. And since Nielsen is the gold standard in TV ratings, many in the industry have expected it to pick up the mantle in online video as well. That has led to some grumbling at Nielsen's perceived slow pace of innovation, and the drag this creates on online video ad spending.

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  • Study: Online Video Ads Complement TV Ads

    Departing from the typical industry party line that online video needs to shift ad spending away from TV, today YuMe and Nielsen are announcing results of a new study showing that online video advertising is actually complementary to TV advertising and that the two should be paired to optimize results. The proposition is that with an integrated "TV 2.0 media planning" approach, advertisers get the best of both worlds: TV's unparalleled reach and online video's interactivity and engagement.

    In the study, YuMe layered a concurrent $500K online video campaign onto a $2.6M September 2011 TV flight for a consumer packaged goods advertiser. YuMe allocated the online spend using Nielsen's TV/Internet Fusion panel in order augment the TV buy. The key findings included:

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  • VideoNuze Report Podcast #107 - CTAM/Nielsen Research - Aug 5, 2011

    Daisy Whitney and I are pleased to present the 107th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for August 5, 2011.

    In this week's podcast, Daisy and I discuss research released earlier this week by CTAM and Nielsen which found, among other things, that 85% of video app users are watching the same or more regularly scheduled TV. In addition, the research found that around 75% of video app usage on mobile devices actually occurs in the home. Daisy and I talk about the implications of the research, and additional data points we've seen that reinforce its conclusions.

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  • 85% of Video App Users Watching Same or More Scheduled TV: Study

    For those fearing that video consumption through mobile and connected devices threatens to disrupt traditional linear TV viewership, a new study suggests it's not happening en masse, at least not yet. The study, fielded by Nielsen and the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) indicates that 85% of video app users are watching the same or more regularly scheduled TV. There's no trend data however, so it's not clear how the amount compares to a year or two ago.

    Further good news is that video apps appear to be adding value to TV programs and TV networks. As the below graphic shows, 46% of video app users report more engagement with the program/network, 35% report more visits to the program/network web site, and 37% report watching more associated programs or networks.

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  • Microsoft and Nielsen Team Up to Correlate Online Ads With TV Tune-In

    Microsoft and Nielsen are teaming up to launch the "Television Online Effect" pilot program, to help measure how specific online ads drive TV tune-in. The partners will leverage aggregate profile data from Nielsen's TV/Internet Fusion panel to create a target audience based on TV and online usage. Microsoft then plans to run online campaigns to this audience on its owned properties. It will then measure the tune-in effect of these campaigns. Entertainment is the first vertical in the program, which will launch by August 1st.

    I can see a real opportunity for this for various reasons. The TV landscape noisier than ever, with cable TV networks flooding the market with a record amount of original programming and broadcast networks continuing to fight for audience share. Meanwhile, traditional tune-in advertising, in radio and newspaper, is less effective than ever because audiences are spending more time online. The good news is that in online, users' profiles can be accurately understand and then correlated to what TV shows they're likely to enjoy, in turn increasing the ads' ROI and the likelihood that shows find their appropriate audience.

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  • Online Video Advertising's Number One Challenge: Measurement

    Despite online video advertising's surging growth, its number one current challenge is a consistent and widely-accepted measurement system that allows media buyers, content publishers and brands to gain a clear understanding of how ad campaigns are planned, executed and evaluated. That was the consensus at a launch dinner for the upcoming ELEVATE: Online Video Advertising Summit I attended last night, which included about ten online video industry CEOs, plus brand and agency executives, which was hosted by the private equity firm The Blackstone Group and the law firm Sheppard Mullin.

    Today, online video measurement tends to focus on that which is easily measured and at least relatively well-understood: number of views/impressions and the number of click-throughs (if applicable). While that's a good starting point, much more is required. As a number of CEOs noted, media buyers have set a higher standard for pricier online video buys; they need specific information about audience targeting, meaningful engagement, and importantly, the correlation between spending and brand/sales lift. There was agreement that many of these new requirements never entered the equation in traditional TV advertising.

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  • ESPN Continues Dampening Cord-Cutting Fears

    ESPN released the its latest round of research on cord-cutting this week, finding that a tiny .18% of American homes with both pay-TV service and a broadband connection dropped their video service between the fourth quarter of 2010 and the first quarter of 2011. ESPN said the .18% is actually lower than the .28% it found in its prior period research and is fully offset by a comparable number of people who upgraded from a "broadcast-only" service level to a full pay-TV package. Not surprisingly, ESPN said that among medium-to-heavy sports viewers there was zero cord-cutting.

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  • PwC's New Viewership Research Shows Vastly Changed Landscape

    A industry friend passed me a copy of PwC's new research on viewership across platforms and by age groups this week, which shows a vastly changed landscape for entertainment consumption. On the top line, the research reports that consumers are watching 12.4 hours/week of TV and movies via download, streamed, digitally recorded and online, vs. 8.9 hours of TV and movies on network TV and basic cable. When looked at by three age groups, 18-34, 35-44 and 45-59, only the latter category watches more network TV/cable, and only for TV shows, not movies (see chart below).

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  • Comcast-Time Warner Deal Shows Promise and Challenges of TV Everywhere

    If you're looking for a template of how pay-TV operators and cable networks need to be working together if they want to successfully combat the rise of Netflix and other over-the-top entrants, yesterday's long-term agreement between Comcast and Time Warner is a great example. Under the agreement, Comcast digital subscribers will gain access to popular programs and movies from Turner Broadcasting networks like TNT, TBS, CNN, Cartoon Network and others, across multiple platforms, including Comcast's On Demand service, Xfinity TV online web site and companion iPad/iPhone and Android apps (which just last night began streaming full episodes). Importantly, Turner networks' viewers will also be able to view the same programs/movies on Turner web sites and online/mobile platforms.  No extra charges to the consumer are planned.

    The deal is a solid step forward in realizing the vision of TV Everywhere that both companies' CEOs laid out back in July, 2009 (see this video for more). And no doubt both companies want to make similar deals with others in the industry; Comcast with other cable TV network groups, and Time Warner with other pay-TV operators. Still, the fact that the two foremost proponents of TV Everywhere took a year-and-a-half to go from laying out their vision to actually announcing a deal underscores how arduous the full realization of the TV Everywhere model will be.

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