Nielsen TV viewing: AGB’s huge problem in smaller audiences that disorients the market

MEDIA

April 25, 2024 – 10:22

What happens to Nielsen viewership when it has to provide specialized information, a targeted audience? Problem…

Nielsen TV ratings and specialized audiences. Chaos… If the viewing figures are practically invalid the way they come out, when we talk about more specific statistics then the result is absolute nothing. The Sportime continues the analysis on the topic of television viewing.

The voices about the problem in its measurement television viewingare increasing more and more. Nikos Manesis made a loud outburst about the situation. But here there are not only inarticulate screams. Because facts and data speak even louder.

Nielsenthe dominant player in the viewership metric on Hellas, has reigned for years, providing data that impacts major channels, advertising and brands. However, when industry operators dare to target a smaller, specialized audience (niche audience), Nielsen statistics reveal their most serious problem

Nielsen viewership – The problem with small audiences

THE Nielsen relies on a limited sample of households to measure it television viewing. This may work somewhat for large audiences such as total television viewers. However, when it comes to smaller target groups, things go awry. For example, Nielsen’s “smallest audience” can be a few hundred or even dozens of people, depending on age group, interests, etc.

Imagine making decisions for advertising campaigns worth millions of euros, based on data with a sample of a few dozen people! That’s exactly what Nielsen is doing with smaller audiences, and the result can be disastrous

Examples:

A channel prematurely cuts a promising show because the Nielsen shows allegedly low viewership in the target age group. In reality, Nielsen’s sample for this group may have been less than 50 people, making the data UNRELIABLE.

An advertising agency is wasting money in the wrong viewing zone, believing that its audience matches the product, based on inaccurate Nielsen data for a small and unrepresentative sample.

Result: CHAOS in the market!

This Nielsen situation with small audiences leads to bad decisions that cost dearly across the market. OPPORTUNITY COST – lost opportunities due to misdirection – is HUGE for the entire advertising industry and media.

Conclusion:

Don’t blindly trust Nielsen, especially when targeting smaller audiences. Understand the limitations of its data and look for alternative methods to make sound decisions