Methodology for MRI's Analysis of Individual Podcast Audiences

Background

Mediamark Research Inc. (MRI), the country's leading provider of magazine audience and multimedia research data for publishers, agencies and advertisers, has joined forces with Podtrac in order to bring the same demographic research that advertisers have in traditional media to podcast media. Through this relationship, Podtrac can help advertisers make confident and targeted decisions in their podcast media buys.

Benefits to Advertisers

In the same way advertising agencies and advertisers use MRI data to determine the fit of a particular media property for their advertising, they will now be able to determine the fit of individual podcasts for their advertising. This service is being offered through Podtrac at no charge to advertisers or podcasters.

Benefits to Audio and Video Podcasters

The Podtrac Survey together with the index to the Survey of the American Consumer published by MRI provide a powerful tool for advertisers to determine the fit of a specific podcast audience for the target of their advertising. The service also provides podcasters an unprecedented way of turning their podcast listening or viewing audiences into a compelling marketable asset to advertisers through Podtrac.

The index to MRI's Survey of the American Consumer

The index to the Survey of the American Consumer is based on MRI's Survey of the American Consumer (adults 18+) twice yearly, in the spring and fall. MRI data are the basic media-planning currency for the majority of the media plans that are created each year by national advertisers and their agencies. The company's 26,000 in-home interviews each year represent the biggest survey of its kind. The MRI index of the Survey of the American Consumer provides a comparison of the population being measured to the overall US population. It is a statistic used by the entire advertising industry to determine a fit between the target of the advertising and the audience of a medium.

Application of the index to Specific Podcast Audiences

Once a podcast has a statistically significant number of respondents to the Podtrac Survey, which has been developed in conjunction with MRI, Podtrac will calculate indexes to the MRI data and apply the index to each podcast's survey responses. Soon thereafter, the data will be available to advertisers through Podtrac.com.

Interpreting the index of MRI's Survey of the American Consumer

If the value of the index for a particular data point is 100, then the medium analyzed delivers the same probability as the general public for that measure. If the value is greater than 100, the fitness of the medium for the advertiser is better, and if the value is less than 100, the fitness of the medium is worse.

Custom Podcast Research Services

In addition to the free Index of the Survey of the American Consumer applies to any podcast audience, Podtrac and MRI offer custom podcast research services. If you are interested in these services, please contact us.

Copyright: The Survey of the American Consumer is Copyright ©1999-2002 by Mediamark Research Inc. All rights reserved. For more information, see www.mediamark.com.