After recapping the launch of its eScreener and digital incentive programs, Nielsen gave a first detailed look at what could lead to the end of the paper diary: the mobile survey, or mSurvey. After more than a year in development and testing, here’s what was disclosed in a Tuesday presentation.
Nielsen Audio Managing Director Rich Tunkle stressed that while paper diaries will continue to be a part of the research methodology, “For years to come,” the inclusion of mSurvey aims to ensure that data collection keeps pace with technological advancements and changing consumer behaviors. This transformation is geared towards maintaining the “relevance and resilience” of the audio diary as a research instrument, especially as traditional response rates have been on the decline.
The transformation from paper to mSurvey is structured around a phased approach that started with qualitative testing and user interface development in early 2023.
The rollout is underway, segmented into four main phases. Starting with a controlled “Friends and Family” test this past January, followed by engaging previous diary keepers in May, a targeted fresh sample test will begin in a few weeks with the Fall 2024 book focusing on Black, Hispanic, and renter demographics.
A broader fresh sample test will be conducted in Spring 2025 before a widespread, full launch next Fall.
As it stands, users will log listening through a series of menus, with demographics questions being included in a separate section like the one currently found at the back of the paper diary. They can select the hours spent listening and manually type in the station name, frequency, or call letters. If a user records a non-listening day, they will be prompted to confirm to make sure that they did not accidentally skip over any reporting.
Upon submitting the completed seven-day period, they will be rewarded with cash through Venmo or PayPal or via a virtual gift card, including popular retailers like Amazon, Starbucks, Home Depot, and Walmart.
Nielsen reports preliminary findings from these tests have been promising. About 79% of respondents indicated they logged their listening as frequently, if not more, on the online diary compared to the paper diary. 71% noted their recording frequency on mSurvey was comparable or less than the paper diary, suggesting a balance in user adoption between the formats. A majority of 54% showed a preference for mSurvey, highlighting a shift towards digital tools, whereas less than a quarter favored the traditional paper diary.
However, not all feedback has been without concern. Challenges such as unexpected high rates of password resets and lower than anticipated sign-ups for reminders indicate areas needing improvement. Nielsen plans to address these issues by streamlining processes such as the introduction of email setup instructions, welcome emails with user credentials, and an instructional video. Enhancing the incentive claim process and integrating copy and paste functionality in the survey tool are steps aimed at improving user experience and data integrity.
Upcoming steps for Nielsen include continuing to gather screener data, selecting samples based on initial responses, and processing the data for comprehensive analysis. From the initial screener responses, selecting a robust sample is critical to the next phase of testing, which will help validate the tool’s effectiveness across varied demographic groups.
With these efforts, Nielsen hopes to ensure the rollout of mSurvey can be effectively expanded by 2026, aiming to include a broader audience and potentially revolutionize how listening data is collected and analyzed in the industry.
