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Sustainable Audience Research in Africa: A Case Study in West Africa. George E Thorpe Non-Exec Director, Media Planning Services (MPS) Lagos. Aug 2008. The Challenge. Problem Definition. Sustainability of the finance & administration of audience research for media planning in Nigeria
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Sustainable Audience Research in Africa:A Case Study in West Africa George E Thorpe Non-Exec Director, Media Planning Services (MPS) Lagos. Aug 2008
Problem Definition • Sustainability of the finance & administration of audience research for media planning in Nigeria • Research providers offer periodic media habit studies • Rampant piracy of media research reports with huge costs/risks • Generate intense controversy/frenzy among media/press houses • Fell short of minimum requirement for scientific media planning • Model in RSA could not be replicated in Nigeria anyway • Industry rarely collaborates (even to compete) in Nigeria • Who Pays/How would be most problematic in Nigeria • Frustration in Nigeria then warning signals from Ghana • With GAMPS at PAMRO 2000…..somewhat stalled since then
Problem Definition • Sustainability of the finance & administration of audience research for media planning in Nigeria • Focus on providing media planning services, not just researching media habits and consumption • Current & reliable data for GRP = Reach x Frequency • Appropriate technologies to read data for media planning • Establish commercial basis & business model for sustainable scientific media planning in Nigeria • Admit to role & limitations of current marketing research methodologies in measurement of media advertising in a rapidly changing technology & media environment re best practice
Media Planning Services • From conception to delivery in 2 long years • Identified champions of change for commitment • Good mix of advertisers & advert/media agencies • Formation & biz/fin prospectus to target investors • Advertising and Media Agencies ONLY • Advertisers & Media Houses expressly excluded • Very slow & limited equity investment & client uptake almost crippled MPS re commitment of stakeholders • Ad industry collaboration for ‘syndicated’ audience research • Lots of lessons as shared at Ad industry meeting in Accra
MPS • Data Sheet • Date of Incorporation • 24 Oct 2000 • Board of Directors • Share Capital • Issued $144K • Paid Up $72K • Shareholders • # Agencies 14 • Min $800 to highest $24K • Staff • x1 ED • x2 Staff
MPS • Value Chain…only 3 Exec + strategic partners Procurement of Audience Research Formatting of Data Subs to Data Sets & Techno After Sale Support • x1 AMPS + x4RAMS • + x4TAMS per annum • AMPS; 20K sample • Diaries in 13 locations • Similar to SAARF Data is formatted to be read exclusively on only MPS licensed technologies User Groups for referral, best practice & support
MPS Sales 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Subs (# Data Sets) 6 19 30 36 46 50 Technologies - Media Star 6 9 20 23 29 31 - Marketing Star/ESPRI 3 10 15 16 20 44
MPS • Recent & LRP Initiatives • U&A section improved to max exploitations (warn) • Expanded product categories (80-110) • Introduced upgraded version of Media Star now closer to Telmar • Launched ESPRI to replace Marketing Star • Program rating now available for TV & Radio wef AMPS II 2003 • Migrated from ABCDE social class typology to LSM wef AMPS III/Dairies Wave 8-11 (2006/6) • AMPS Data every 12 months (vs 18 month) wef Jan 2007 • Continuous daily tracking in x4 locations out of current 10 Diary locations wef Jan 2007 • To replace current Dairy surveys with Peoplemeter per roll out plan for more accurate, real time data • Offer 2 levels of software re Media Star, Telmar & IMS
Conclusion • Sustainability of the finance & administration of audience research for media planning in Nigeria • MPS as a fully viable value-add platform for media planning solutions in Nigeria; research as key input • Procured $1.5m worth of media audience research from 2 leading providers since 2001; probably now #1 research user in Nigeria • Plan to procure some N1.1m worth of media research in 2008-10 subject to impacts of new technology & media developments • My special thanks to…… • PAMRO 1999 for showing us the audience research way (re Piet) • Ghana’s GAMPS 2000 for a rude awakening in/to Nigeria • MPS subscribers for bringing some science (sanity) to the largest, most dynamic and complex advert media market in Africa
Thank You George Thorpe georgethorpe@market-space.com