(By Steve Allan) Every quarter, Nielsen releases the PPM Panel Additional Characteristics Report. This is a client-only publication that serves as a snapshot in time of the current PPM panel in your market. If you do not peruse this every quarter, you are missing out on a wealth of information.
For example, you can learn what percentage of the households speak Gujarathi. While this may not have an impact on any strategic decisions, some facts could seriously prove useful. For example:
- Household income – One of the traditional negatives about radio ratings is that participants tend to come from lower socioeconomic levels. You might be surprised about how this really shakes out.
- Number of radios in the household – This one will frighten you. Here’s a clue – the call is often not coming from inside the house.
- Any use of Internet radio services by household – As you are well aware, the competitive radio landscape stretches far beyond the AM/FM dial. How far? This will answer that question for you.
- Podcast listener by household – How many panelists actually listen to podcasts? While this does not enumerate consumption, it is an indicator of usage. Keep in mind that if one member of a six-person household listens, the entire household lands in the “yes” column.
- Presence of voice-enabled home assistant (smart speaker) – Even though Nielsen does a less-than-optimal job of capturing online listening, this is where you can grab that coveted “at home” audience. Especially in today’s hybrid work world.
All of these categories (and more) are also broken down by total audience, ethnicity, and age cells. The report also lists every PPM market so you can compare your results to other markets.
In a data-driven world, every piece of information has value. You pay Nielsen a lot for their services. Make sure you are getting the most out of that investment.
This essay is part of a series titled “The Power of Radio.” To view past articles, visit The Ratings Experts at Research Director, Inc. online here.
Steve Allan is the Programming Research Consultant at Research Director, Inc. He can be reached at 410-295-6619 x25 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Research Director, Inc. offers consulting services to media companies to help them grow their audience, ratings, and revenue. Read Research Director, Inc.’s Radio Ink archives here.
