ARF Council Meetings showcase best practice and introduce ARF members to new technologies and the latest thinking about all aspects of advertising. The Audio Council is no exception, and at the next meeting in New York on December 17, Chair Dr. Tom Evans of ESPN will bring together two major players representing the potential future of audio measurement – IMMI and Arbitron. New audio measurement technologies will be explored in terms of the devices and differences between them, the research methodology, building a sample and other challenges to effective measurement. At the same time, the Council will hear the experiences of actual PPM panelists.
Bill McKenna and Matt Reid will introduce IMMI’s passive digital monitoring system. The discussion will include a review of key differences between a passive measurement approach and an active encoding methodology. IMMI cell phones measure individuals’ exposure to audible media without input from the panel member, broadcaster or advertiser, including: television viewing outside the home; time-shifted and on-demand viewing; radio; DVDs; audio CDs; theatrical films; live concerts and sporting events; cell phone videos and games. McKenna and Reid will share the results of a recent independent “hotel test” audit of IMMI’s patented technology and its ability to recognize and credit consumer media exposure in a real-world environment.
The Portable People Meter is replacing Arbitron’s current diary-based ratings with electronic measurement. A pager-sized PPM is carried by the panelist and detects inaudible codes hidden in broadcast streams, and so monitors those channels for which broadcasters choose to be measured. At the Audio Council meeting, Warren Kurtzman from Coleman Insights will share the results of its exclusive, no-holds-barred one-on-one interviews with PPM panelists. Learn how the panelists perceive the meter, how, when, and where they use it and how they respond to Arbitron’s efforts to ensure their participation. New insights will be revealed about the differences between “perceived” and “metered” listening. Following this presentation Dr. Ed Cohen will share Arbitron’s perspective on the Coleman Study and be available for further questions.
