Perhaps there is no better reflection of the crowded media climate
we operate in than the fact that the business of rating regional media
is finding itself in an increasingly cluttered environment.
Since January, Australian advertising agencies have had to deal with two
ratings system - newcomer OzTAM and ousted incumbent ACNielsen -
produced in tandem but revealing major differences in this market of 20
million people.
Now, Singapore - a miniscule market of just 3.5 million people - is
gearing up for a replay of the Aussie drama. The arrival of a second
terrestrial station in the city next month will also herald the launch
of a separate ratings contract, with incumbent ACNielsen picking up the
MediaWorks account after losing the TCS deal to Taylor Nelson Sofres
(TNS).
At this stage, the twin ratings scenario carries more down than upside
for media agencies. If the situation in Australia and China, where
ACNielsen and TNS have had a long-running battle for share, is anything
to go by, agencies in Singapore should prepare for an equally messy
period.
In the event that there are sharp differences - and there will be with
rival TV stations funding separate measurement deals - the second
ratings package will naturally add to the cost and time pressures that
agencies already face.
Both packages will need to be bought, carefully studied and
evaluated.
That can only mean that media agencies will need to look at extra
staffing on the buying side to handle the additional analyses which will
be required to reconcile the ratings data, especially if sharp spikes
are revealed.
There is however an upside for clients. All that extra analysis should
put media agencies in a better informed position to develop strategies
and buy media more creatively.
But the end of the day, it's in the interest of advertisers, agencies
and media owners to have just one currency to trade with.
