ANA Magazine - May 2012

To do this, we utilized TacticVision from Lake 5 Media to analyze our client’s as-run schedule for Adults 18–49 and each of our two custom targets using the Nielsen TV/GfK MRI Fusion. In a typical month, the client had a reach of 79 percent for Adults 18–49 with an average frequency of 14.9 (see figure 1). Using the Nielsen TV/ GfK MRI Fusion data, we can also see that the reach and frequency delivered with the busy-but-balanced families was 89 percent/15.5 and 86 percent/17.4 for socializers.

Even this “simple” ability to look at a schedule’s performance with more complex attitudinal, behavioral, and demographic brand targets, using standard opportunity to see metrics like reach and frequency, is not a widespread practice. This is a powerful capability that can help agencies and their clients optimize schedules based on the value of their brand targets.

But there’s even more to be gained by using data and technologies that enable us to select media environments that not only reach the right target, but deliver better impact.

For the same client, we
employed Television Convic-
tion™, a proprietary metho-
dology we’ve developed at
the Martin Agency. It uses
respondent level viewing data
from the Nielsen TV/GfK MRI
Fusion in concert with
proprietary models to deter-
mine the effective media
impact of each placement for
specific target consumers.
Conviction goes beyond viewing
and tune-ins to incorporate
many metrics about the quality
of the program environment,
including clutter, dropoff, and
DVR playback. For our
example month, we deter-
mined that the Conviction
impact for the Adults 18–49
target was 128, which meant
that the telecasts chosen for
the buy had a 28 percent
higher impact than the average
telecast during that period for
our target. That’s pretty good.

seconds, and a mix of broadcast and cable. We also worked to ensure our reallocation would be possible to achieve in the market. We evaluated every telecast in the month for both targets, and arrived at a new schedule that was much more effective. Specifically, the optimized schedule had the same reach for our Adults 18–49 demographic and two brand targets, with nearly comparable frequency. The impact scores for all targets increased, with Adults 18–49 up 8 percent,

TOTAL SPEND (EXAMPLE MONTH)
FIGURE 1

$21,000,000 $18,800,000
- 10.5%
Reach/Frequency
Adults 18–49

Optimized
Schedule

79%/13.3

89%/14.3

85%/15.9

Difference

0%/-11%

0%/-8%

-1%/-9%

Television Conviction™ Impact Index
Adults 18–49
Busy-but-balanced families
Socializers

128

123

138

158

247

29%

213%

percent less effective than a placement on the average telecast aired during the period. Given that socializers were the primary volume drivers for the brand, this was untenable.

Using Conviction to demonstrate how we would be able to more effectively align media investment to our brand targets, we reoptimized the as-run schedule, taking special care to keep a number of variables constant, including: daypart mix, network list and spend levels for certain key networks, spot mix of 15 seconds and 30

busy-but-balanced families up 29 percent, and socializers up 213 percent.

But the big story was the fact that these results were achieved with 10. 5 percent less cost. Annually, this represented a potential savings for the client in excess of $20 million.

These kinds of figures provide compelling rationale for more precise targeting, which is made possible by new technologies and more granular data that afford marketers much needed insight to guide their media investment strategy. ■