Local People Meters

1
Welcome

• Local People Meters
• San Francisco

June 10, 2004
2
San Francisco Local People Meter

• Methodology Overview
• Tim Dolson
• VP Research

3
Agenda

• Overview
• Sample Design Selection
• Sample Maintenance
• Pre-Recruitment Inventory

4
Overview
5
Designing and Selecting the Sample
6
Dimensions

• Current February 2004
• New
• Local people meter panel at 800 installed

7
Census Definitions

• Census Tract
• Census defined geography with populations between
  1,500 and 8,000. Within counties
• Census Block Group (BG)
• Census defined geography with populations between
  600 and 3,000. Within tracts
• Housing Unit (HU)
• Single room or group of rooms occupied or
  intended for occupancy as separate living quarters

8
Nielsen Definitions

• Basic
• Pre-designated address selected for panel
  recruitment
• Alternate
• Replacement address chosen to represent a Basic
  that refuses to participate
• Spec
• Set Addresses or sampling point selected for
  recruitment into the panel (Specs contain both
  Basic and Alternate addresses)

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Properties of an Area Probability Panel

• Complete coverage
• Television households
• Telephone and non-telephone homes
• Non-television households
• Unoccupied (Vacant) housing units
• Equal probability of selection
• Non-clustered panel
• Availability of Maps
• In person recruitment
• Replacements for refusing homes located in same
  neighborhood

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Sample Design Selection
11
Sample Design Selection

• Select Sample of Housing Units
• Recruit Television Households
• Periodically Check on Unoccupied (Vacant) and
  Non-Television Households

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Overview

• Frame DMA Housing Units
• Ultimately need list of Housing Units
• List not available for entire DMA
• Select Sample Of Small Areas From DMA
• Block Groups, then blocks
• List Housing Units in sample areas

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Advantages of Block Groups

• Relatively small in size
• Maps are available
• Demographic data available

14
Selection Process

• Stratify Block Groups
• Census Data on Geography, Race and Ethnicity
• Sample Allocation and Selection
• Distribute Sample based on Housing Unit
  Distribution
• Field Enumeration
• Verify Census Counts Designate Sample Homes
• Issue Specifications
• Information on Sample Homes to Membership
  Representatives for Recruitment

15
Stratification of DMA

• Geography
• Counties with lt15 DMA housing units own segment
• Larger counties divided into sub-counties
• 14 levels (3 Santa Clara and 2 Alameda
  sub-counties)
• Race
• African American (0-35.9, 36.0)
• Asian Pacific Islander (0-16.9, 17.0-32.9,
  33.0-49.9, 50.0)
• Ethnicity
• (0-16.9, 17.0-40.9, 41.0)

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Stratification of DMA

• Total Strata for San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose

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Allocation Selection of DMA Panel

• Multi-Stage Selection Process
• Allocate Sample to Strata
• Select Block Groups
• Select Blocks
• Select Housing Units

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Sample Size

• Designated LPM Size 800 installed households
• ?125 NPM homes in San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose
• 675 LPM only homes in San Francisco-Oakland-San
  Jose
• Consider Market Conditions
• Non-TV penetration 3.7
• Vacancy Rate 3.8
• Churn Rate 14.5
• Spec (Address) Sample Size for SF 1010

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Allocation Example

• San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose 2000 Census
  Housing Units 2,541,610
• Alameda sub-county 1 with 0-16.9 Hispanic
  penetration, 0-35.9 African American penetration
  and 0-16.9 Asian/Pacific Islander penetration
  has 57 Block Groups meeting these parameters and
  totals 28,491 Housing Units.
• Strata accounts for 1.121 of the total DMA
  Housing Units (28,491 / 2,541,610)
• Allocate 1.121 of Sample 1.121 of 1010
  11.3
• Statistical rounding procedures determine final
  allocation of 11 or 12 addresses

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Allocation Selection of DMA Panel

• Multi-Stage Selection Process
• Allocate Sample to Strata
• Select Block Groups
• Select Blocks
• Select Housing Units

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Housing Unit Surveys

• Field Survey Operations
• Nielsen hired surveyors
• Extensive training program
• Supervised by full time Nielsen employees
• Resurvey of 10 as QA check

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Field Survey Form
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Census Maps
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Census Maps
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The Field Survey Process
Census Tract 73.08
Block Group 1
HU 24

Block 1000
BASIC
1
2
3
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Sample Maintenance
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Maintaining the Panel

• Refusing basics re-contacted twice a year
• Vacant basics checked twice a month
• Systematic planned turnover
• Complete turnover in two years
• 1/24th each month
• Turnover in same area

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Sample Updating

• Account for market growth
• Sample newly constructed housing units twice a
  year
• Building permits
• Re-surveys
• Periodic sample revisions
• Twice a year
• Incorporate new construction
• Reflect population market shifts

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Recruiting and Maintaining the Sample
Chris Gera VP Local Field Operations
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Responsibilities of Field Operations

• Sample Recruitment
• Collection of household characteristics
• Meter Installation
• Coaching People Meter usage
• Ongoing sample maintenance

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Sample Recruitment

• Goal Achieve the highest response rate possible
• Challenges
• Families unfamiliar with Nielsen TV Ratings
• Suspicious public
• Language barriers
• Security buildings / gated communities

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Field Staffing- LPM

• Separate national and local field teams
• Locally managed after launch
• Maintain panel member/field relationships
• Reassign as panel turnover occurs
• Two year panel turnover
• New Positions Panel Relations Specialists,
  Hispanic SWAT, Trainer
• Specific team to work with home Membership Rep,
  Field Rep and Panel Relation Specialist

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Field Staffing - LPM

• Two year panel turnover
• Locally managed after launch
• Diverse languages including Spanish, Chinese,
  Vietnamese, Filipino-Tagalog, Japanese, Thai,
  Asian Indian (Hindu, Urdu, Punjabi, Gujariti)

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LPM Field Process and Timeline

• Set metered service will be maintained at same
  level and high quality until LPM launch
• Field staffs completely separate
• Field staffing levels remains constant
• LPM Team organization begins 16 weeks prior to
  first installed home
• Combination of experienced reps and new hires
  from market to match market diversity
• Other tools to acquire
• Cars
• Cell phones
• Computers and printers
• 9 weeks of classroom training
• In-market training and mentor program
• First home installed approximately 12 months
  prior to launch

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Sample Recruitment Process Staff

• Membership Representatives
• Locally hired
• Multi-lingual staff
• 3-week classroom training
• Persuader training
• Roll-play exercises
• 2-week apprenticeship

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Objective

• Know as much as possible about the target home
  prior to recruitment
• Location
• Demographics
• Cable and Child status
• Race
• Hispanic Identity
• Age
• Language

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Objective

• Use targeted recruitment strategies developed
  prior to home visit to maximize recruitment
  success probability
• Personnel
• Materials
• Incentives

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Panel Recruitment
Process Enhancements

• Identifying crucial population components of
  markets
• African-American
• Hispanic
• Age of Head
• Initiatives
• Targeted incentives
• New recruitment video in Spanish and English
• New QA brochure and panel agreement in 7
  languages
• Work with UCLA to gain better understanding of
  Asian culture
• Website for recruited households

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Panel Recruitment
Process Enhancements

• Collection of household information Pre-pack
• Methods
• USPS Priority Mail delivery of questionnaire
  packet
• Increased incentive with packet
• In-person interview when no information via mail
• New conditional incentive paid after survey
  completion / return
• Results Increased awareness of Nielsen
• Higher cooperation rates
• Targeted recruitment strategies
  
• Questionnaire completion rate

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Sample Recruitment Process Focused on Building
Relationships

• Pre-recruitment process
• Learn about the family
• Family learns about Nielsen TV Ratings
• Recruitment process
• Multiple visits
• Build a relationship with the family
• Establish credibility
• Refusal conversion process
• Focus on individual concerns
• Periodic re-contacts to refusers
• Demonstrate their importance to us

41
Sample Recruitment Process Focused on Building
Relationships

• Pre-recruitment Process
• Prepack
• Determine appropriate recruitment approach
• Advanced letter and brochure (multi-lingual)
• Security prepack and letter
• Nielsen Recruitment Website

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Sample Recruitment Process Focused on Building
Relationships

• Recruitment Process
• Gift at the door
• Recruitment tools
• Persuaders
• Brochure (multi-lingual)
• Testimonial video

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Nielsen TestimonialVideo

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Sample Recruitment Process Focused on Building
Relationships

• Recruitment Process
• Return visits
• Household incentives
• Differential incentives based on demographics

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Sample Recruitment Process Focused on Building
Relationships

• Refusal conversion and Re-contact of Refusals
• Refusal letter
• Final in-person attempt
• Periodic re-contact to refusers
• 6-month intervals
• Letter
• Testimonial video
• Personal visit

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LPM Recruitment Results

• Over 50 of pre-designated households have become
  members

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Collection of Household Characteristics

• Goal Accurate collection and ongoing accuracy of
  household characteristics
• Initially collected at recruitment
• Persons detail
• Education
• Race
• Origin
• Language Use
• Income
• Vehicles

• Occupation
• Internet Access
• Pets
• Beverages
• Movie Goer
• Principle Shopper
• Technical Information

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Collection of Household Characteristics

• Updates to Household Information
• In-person visits to update all information
• Each 6 months
• Telephone call to update priority information
• 2nd and 4th month following the in-person visit
• Materials mailed to the households reminding them
  to inform us of any changes
• Priority information is updated during unplanned
  visits

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Meter Installation

• Requirement Measure all television usage in the
  household
• Actively monitor all operable tuning devices
• and other video equipment used with the set
• Challenge
• New technologies
• Digital Cable
• Broadcast digital
• DBS
• Tivo other Time-shifted
• Complex viewing environments

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Meter Installation Responding to the Challenge

• Staff
• Tool box approach to metering
• Manufacturer relationships

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Meter Installation Staff

• Field Representatives
• Locally hired
• Multi-lingual staff
• 9-week classroom and lab training
• 3-week apprenticeship
• 80 Dunedin Support Associates
• Technical Support
• Data Processing and Quality Control
• Field Training

52
Meter Installation Toolbox Metering Approach

• Meters for all types of tuning and video devices
• Each sample household receives a custom
  installation
• 12 types of metering devices to monitor all
  tuners and attached devices
• Engineer specialty metering attachments
• Develop special software to monitor complex
  viewing environment
• Measure digital cable and broadcast digital
• Partnerships with equipment manufacturers ensures
  timely engineering solutions

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LPM Installation Results

• Fewer than 2 of households could not be metered
  due to technical issues

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Coaching People Meter Usage

• Goal Provide training to ensure accuracy of
  People Meter usage and provide ongoing
  motivation
• Challenge
• Instructing children and motivating young adults

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People Meter Expertise

• 17 years of People Meter experience
• Experts at generating positive behavior
• Membership Concept

Membership Rep
Nielsen Household
Field Rep
Panel Relation Specialist
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Coaching People Meter Usage Responding to the
Challenge

• Child and young adult coaching special techniques
• Coaching aides for children
• Re-coaching intervals

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The People Meter
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The People Meter
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The People Meter
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The People Meter
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Coaching People Meter Usage Child / Young Adult
Special Techniques

• Membership Representatives coach all households
  with children and young adults
• Trained on effective coaching techniques
• Coaching tools
• Coaching video
• Activity books reinforce button pushing
  procedures
• Stickers
• Leave-behind instructions
• Daily monitoring of people meter usage compliance
• Immediate coaching given

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Coaching People Meter Usage Re-coaching Intervals

• Initial Coach at Installation
• Follow-up Coach
• Child and Young Adult households
• Typically 4 weeks after installation
• Scheduled Coach
• 6-month intervals
• Supplemental coaching
• Daily monitoring of people meter usage compliance
• Immediate coaching given

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LPM People Meter Results

• Fewer than 5 of households are out-of-tab due to
  People Meter non-compliance

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Ongoing Sample Maintenance

• Goal Maintain high levels of sample performance
• Maintain sample size
• Replace sample turnover
• Achieve high in-tab rates
• Prioritize work to achieve proper sample
  representation
• Challenge
• Maintaining cooperation
• Rapidly responding to maintenance needs

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Ongoing Sample Maintenance Responding to the
Challenge

• Local office staff
• Prioritization and direction
• Sample Management system
• Household incentives
• Increased staffing levels

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Field Office and MSM

• Panel Relations Specialist
• Schedules appointments with
• households
• Receives calls from households

• Field Manager
• Determines sample priorities
• Monitors sample trends
• Assures appropriate staffing

• Coordinator
• Pre-screens faults
• Determines work to be
• scheduled

• MR and Field Supervisors
• Work with reps in the
  field
• Provide support and monitor quality

• MR Field Rep
• Receive assigned work
• and visit household

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Ongoing Sample Maintenance Incentives

• Monetary incentives
• Gift catalog for kids
• End of term incentive

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Ongoing Sample Maintenance
Increased staffing
levels
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Summary

• We are pleased to introduce people meters to the
  top 10 markets.
• Atlanta current status
• Hiring Jul-Oct, Pre pack mails 3/9/05,
  Recruitment begins May 15th 2005.
• DC current status
• 11 FRs/11MRs staffed, 1 PRS staffed, Pre pack
  mailed 4/7, Recruitment begins June 15th
• First phase is progressing as planned
• Anticipate achieving all of our performance goals

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THANK YOU