SHANGHAI Rival suppliers of TV ratings for China took part in a joint client forum for the first time to address concerns that services being developed are not relevant to advertisers.
The two main suppliers, CSM Media Research and AGB Nielsen Media Research, are both facing potentially rapid technological change, with the Chinese Government planning to switch off analogue broadcasts within the next 10 years.
Major MNC advertisers are also extending their reach, requiring operators to upgrade and extend their coverage.
The forum, organised by GroupM, was attended by representatives of both of the research agencies, who each gave a presentation and answered questions. "This is a constructive way to address the problem, for each supplier to explain how they are operating and leave the clients to make up their minds,"said one of the speakers, Alberto Colussi, management board chairman for AGB Nielsen Media Research.
Advertisers are getting more useful and insightful information but there is still a long way to go, said Yum China media director Brillian Zhou. "The most important thing is that these are not just conceptual plans but are also being implemented,"she said.
MindShare's national insights director for China Arjun Ghosh, who delivered a speech on the future of TV, outlined four key issues -
Expanding coverage geographically; new technology; combining TV ratings with other data sources; and managing the cost of these new initiatives.
See Media 3, page 14
