Celia Fan, research director from Turner, agrees, "Most surveys are conducted every two years, so the results could be affected by the events that happen during the fieldwork period. Survey results could also be out-dated easily."
Planning relies heavily on up-to-date relevant information to make the most effective judgements; it also involves assessing progress over time so decisions based on interviews conducted once several years ago should be made with a measure of caution.
World events directly influence the performance of print and television given they are information media and this performance may not be repeated outside of those newsworthy times.
PAX, given its continuous quarterly update, has gained popularity in the industry to compare results over time, so it's likely that it will be used more frequently versus ATMS, which is conducted every two years.
Also, the similarities of ATMS and PAX bring into question the need for two such studies in the market, as both require investment and agencies do not have limitless funds.
There is a general consensus that pan-Asian research is not adding enough depth to the understanding of how print and TV are consumed, how brand choices are made and the role media plays within this selection process.
Significant improvements could be made if the surveys looked beyond audience measurements and included more qualitative analysis on readers' relationship with publications. From Carat's point of view, it would be beneficial all round if the research companies received greater input from media planners themselves, as they are usually the ones who use the research most frequently.
Lastly, since all surveys are 'recall-based', over- reliance and decisions based purely on research figures should be avoided.
There are many other important qualitative criteria that media planners should take into consideration; like the environment of the media, the 'health' of the publication/station, its own brand positioning, its flexibility for creative media ideas and even 'gut-feel'. This is, in essence, media planners 'doing their job'. No amount of research can replace the intelligence, experience and judgement of a planner!