If you need more evidence that the line between semi-pro (or pro-am or whatever you want to call it) and professional journalism content is blurring rapidly, lets have a look at usage data between topline News (ie journalists) figures and the unduplicated audience of the top 4 blog platforms.
According to Neilsen Netview, the topline News & Information figures (which is a unduplicated figure taking into account News Digital Media, The Age, SMH, BBC, Yahoo!7 News, National Nine News, NY Times, Bigpond NEws, Google News, Conde Nast, Daily Mail, CNN etc) only saw essentially a zero usage increase from April 07 to April 08 - from 7.785m in April 07 to 7.786m in April 08.
Now lets look at the unduplicated figures of the top 4 blogging platforms - blogger, wordpress, typepad and livejournal.
April 07 - 1.839m
April 08 - 2.484m
That is a YOY increase of 35%. What does this show? Well .. people are turning to blogs more and more to get their information. Why is this? Well ... I don't have the definitive answer ... but I believe that blogs offer more credibility and passion than their larger counterparts - especially in niche areas (which we all know become quite big when there are enough niche's combined). And this doesn't even cover sites like Perez Hilton, TMZ, Gizmodo, Defamer, Slashdot etc - which I would argue are blogs by format and design.
It's not all bad for the News & Information category - page views per user per month are up YOY from 65 to 74. Still, if I had the choice between a marginal increase in consumption or a major increase in users I know which one I'd take.
Maybe we will start seeing large news site bloggers become more than just light entertainment 'columnists' and actual evolve to being actual experts on what they're covering.
Showing posts with label Neilsen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Neilsen. Show all posts
Monday, May 26, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
What is 'Essential' online?
I've been thinking lately about what sites/apps etc are considered essential by users. Reason being - there are SO MANY sites out there and I think this is a measurement (subjective as it may be) that may assist sorting out what environments resonate well with consumers beyond page impressions, unique users and other standard metrics that often make planning a strategy harder than it needs to be.
Another key reason is differentiation. There are too many similar sites in Australia that require consolidation. The portals are the main area causing this unnecessary clutter by trying to compete in every conceiveable space despite sometimes some of them not being able to bring anything to the table for users or advertisers.
A great metric for 'essential' online is Unique Browser Frequency - ie, how many times on average each user returns each month.
Why is it a good metric? Well ... it's not based on time spent ... which in many instances isn't at all a metric of value as not all sites are designed to keep you as long possible ... many are in/out transactional type sites. Google wouldn't look at session duration/time spent as a metric as they are about quick dissemination of information ... they would look at Unique Browser Frequency.
Google users return 12.85 times per month (source: Neilsen, April 2008), Ninemsn Messenger users return on average 14 times per month.
So what are the other sites in key verticals that have people coming back en masse. Well, I tried to look into this using Neilsen Netview and find the top 20 ... but unfortunately Neilsen doesn't allow users to sort via this metric. Hence, I had to use Neilsen Market Intelligence (which is flawed, admittedly, as all sites that appear have paid for the privalege and it misses a load of sites, especially US ones) ... however for the purpose of this exercise it's the best solution.
Only caveat is that the site must have over 50k users per month (April 2008). The number 1 for UB frequency sites are listed
Sport - Domestic
Swellnet. 188,544 users returning on average 4.49 times per month
Automotive - Domestic
Carsales. 1.6m users returning on average 2.21 times per month
Business/Finance - Domestic
ASX. 1.09m users returning on average 4.95 times per month
Entertainment - Domestic
Habbo Hotel. 195,000 users returning on average 4.37 times per month.
Lifestyle - Domestic
RSVP. 721,656 users returning on average 5.54 times per month. (worth noting Fairfax Digital has 4 of the top 7 Lifestyle sites for engagement with RSVP, Essential Baby and The age and SMG Life&Style)
Magazines - Domestic
Money. 402,349 users returning on average 2.17 times per month.
News and Weather - Domestic
Elders Weather. 280,127 users returning on average 5.35 times per month. (SMH.com.au is number 2 with 4.34m users returning on average 4.42 times per month)
I am not saying this is the answer to solving the engagement riddle - but combine unique browser frequency with unique users and you start to get an idea of both reach and loyalty.
I, for one, think this IS important and often overlooked. I think if you work in media and you are purely looking for reach and audience size you are barely scraping the surface ... our role is to find environments that mean something to our target and find ways of integrating our messages within these in a way that adds value. I think something that is 'essential' ADDS value to advertising messages. For instance, I am more likely to view and consider an ad I see on a site like tripadvisor.com (which I love) than an ad I see on portal standard Travel site. Why? Because I trust tripadvisor.com and turn to it for information.
I think moving forward more thought and importance will be put into these 'essential' destinations - seeking them out and finding new ways to utilise them. It's almost vital now - especially when you're faced with 10/20/30 sites with similar content, audiences, and ratecards ... and it's not going to get any easier as it seems the new ethos of the AU digital advertising industry in 2008 is 'if it has eyeballs plonk ads on it regardless of whether it makes sense to users or advertisers'.
Another key reason is differentiation. There are too many similar sites in Australia that require consolidation. The portals are the main area causing this unnecessary clutter by trying to compete in every conceiveable space despite sometimes some of them not being able to bring anything to the table for users or advertisers.
A great metric for 'essential' online is Unique Browser Frequency - ie, how many times on average each user returns each month.
Why is it a good metric? Well ... it's not based on time spent ... which in many instances isn't at all a metric of value as not all sites are designed to keep you as long possible ... many are in/out transactional type sites. Google wouldn't look at session duration/time spent as a metric as they are about quick dissemination of information ... they would look at Unique Browser Frequency.
Google users return 12.85 times per month (source: Neilsen, April 2008), Ninemsn Messenger users return on average 14 times per month.
So what are the other sites in key verticals that have people coming back en masse. Well, I tried to look into this using Neilsen Netview and find the top 20 ... but unfortunately Neilsen doesn't allow users to sort via this metric. Hence, I had to use Neilsen Market Intelligence (which is flawed, admittedly, as all sites that appear have paid for the privalege and it misses a load of sites, especially US ones) ... however for the purpose of this exercise it's the best solution.
Only caveat is that the site must have over 50k users per month (April 2008). The number 1 for UB frequency sites are listed
Sport - Domestic
Swellnet. 188,544 users returning on average 4.49 times per month
Automotive - Domestic
Carsales. 1.6m users returning on average 2.21 times per month
Business/Finance - Domestic
ASX. 1.09m users returning on average 4.95 times per month
Entertainment - Domestic
Habbo Hotel. 195,000 users returning on average 4.37 times per month.
Lifestyle - Domestic
RSVP. 721,656 users returning on average 5.54 times per month. (worth noting Fairfax Digital has 4 of the top 7 Lifestyle sites for engagement with RSVP, Essential Baby and The age and SMG Life&Style)
Magazines - Domestic
Money. 402,349 users returning on average 2.17 times per month.
News and Weather - Domestic
Elders Weather. 280,127 users returning on average 5.35 times per month. (SMH.com.au is number 2 with 4.34m users returning on average 4.42 times per month)
I am not saying this is the answer to solving the engagement riddle - but combine unique browser frequency with unique users and you start to get an idea of both reach and loyalty.
I, for one, think this IS important and often overlooked. I think if you work in media and you are purely looking for reach and audience size you are barely scraping the surface ... our role is to find environments that mean something to our target and find ways of integrating our messages within these in a way that adds value. I think something that is 'essential' ADDS value to advertising messages. For instance, I am more likely to view and consider an ad I see on a site like tripadvisor.com (which I love) than an ad I see on portal standard Travel site. Why? Because I trust tripadvisor.com and turn to it for information.
I think moving forward more thought and importance will be put into these 'essential' destinations - seeking them out and finding new ways to utilise them. It's almost vital now - especially when you're faced with 10/20/30 sites with similar content, audiences, and ratecards ... and it's not going to get any easier as it seems the new ethos of the AU digital advertising industry in 2008 is 'if it has eyeballs plonk ads on it regardless of whether it makes sense to users or advertisers'.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
US: Mobile Ad Visibility on the increase
The NY Times reports "the number of phone users who recalled seeing mobile ads rose by 38 percent to 58 million in the fourth quarter compared with 42 million in the second quarter, Nielsen's fourth-quarter survey of 22,000 active mobile data users."
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-nielsen-mobileads.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
So we have non brand specific recall improving, as well as reach. All positives for the mobile space.
The article touches on ad content potentially subsidising usage for subscribers, with Virgin Mobile US even implementing this practice now.
"About 13 percent of respondents said they were open to ads if they improves the mobile content available, while about 14 percent said they were open to ads as long as they were relevant to their interests, the (Neilsen) survey found."
Is the answer locally making mobile Internet access free (or a nominal monthly charge - say $5 - and funding the data through targeted display ads?
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-nielsen-mobileads.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
So we have non brand specific recall improving, as well as reach. All positives for the mobile space.
The article touches on ad content potentially subsidising usage for subscribers, with Virgin Mobile US even implementing this practice now.
"About 13 percent of respondents said they were open to ads if they improves the mobile content available, while about 14 percent said they were open to ads as long as they were relevant to their interests, the (Neilsen) survey found."
Is the answer locally making mobile Internet access free (or a nominal monthly charge - say $5 - and funding the data through targeted display ads?
Thursday, February 28, 2008
IAB to meet re Measurement today
According to The Oz media section the IAB is meeting today and the main item on the agenda is trying to get the wheels in motion on a single audience measurement system.
Right now there's 2 Neilsen tools (Netview - Panel, Market Intelligence - Site Side) as well as Hitwise (ISP based).
Last November, the IAB announced that it favoured a panel based methodology as a single standard of measurement, raising the ire, allegedly, of media agencies.
However, I would hazard a guess that publishers would have been more cheesed off as they often claim panel based measurement (ie Netview) underestimates their actual numbers ... and it does if you compare domestic Market Intelligence numbers to Netview numbers across some key sites.
According to the article "Industry sources estimated the $370 million general internet advertising sector risked losing tens of millions of dollars from its failure to resolve the issue."
I am not sure it's this dire ... but it appears that measurement is an issue.
Thing is, I don't really think it is. I can only speak from first hand experience, but very rarely has a client of mine expressed much concern about measurement inconsistency ... mainly because we use a consolidated reporting tool and back it up with qualitative research in many cases (ie Dynamic Logic).
Yes, problems can appear if you rely on publisher side measurement, but 9.9999 times out of 10 this isn't required. Measurement does solve the pissing contests (ie unique users) for publishers but I think as time goes on people have stopped caring about sheer numbers aside some select placement.
Digital is more a quality equation than a numbers game for most - what is the point of reaching 1m people if you don't actually know what result it had on response or brand? What is the IAB doing to address this?
It sort of feels sometimes that the IAB takes so long to actually move that when they do the issue is irrelevant. Is this the case with the measurement debate?
Personally I feel there are more pressing issues they need to sort out - in particular creative consistency across major networks (ie not just the big 5) and also creative flexibility so we can start seeing the sort of executions we see from o/s.
Keen to hear your thoughts.
Article: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23286933-7582,00.html
Right now there's 2 Neilsen tools (Netview - Panel, Market Intelligence - Site Side) as well as Hitwise (ISP based).
Last November, the IAB announced that it favoured a panel based methodology as a single standard of measurement, raising the ire, allegedly, of media agencies.
However, I would hazard a guess that publishers would have been more cheesed off as they often claim panel based measurement (ie Netview) underestimates their actual numbers ... and it does if you compare domestic Market Intelligence numbers to Netview numbers across some key sites.
According to the article "Industry sources estimated the $370 million general internet advertising sector risked losing tens of millions of dollars from its failure to resolve the issue."
I am not sure it's this dire ... but it appears that measurement is an issue.
Thing is, I don't really think it is. I can only speak from first hand experience, but very rarely has a client of mine expressed much concern about measurement inconsistency ... mainly because we use a consolidated reporting tool and back it up with qualitative research in many cases (ie Dynamic Logic).
Yes, problems can appear if you rely on publisher side measurement, but 9.9999 times out of 10 this isn't required. Measurement does solve the pissing contests (ie unique users) for publishers but I think as time goes on people have stopped caring about sheer numbers aside some select placement.
Digital is more a quality equation than a numbers game for most - what is the point of reaching 1m people if you don't actually know what result it had on response or brand? What is the IAB doing to address this?
It sort of feels sometimes that the IAB takes so long to actually move that when they do the issue is irrelevant. Is this the case with the measurement debate?
Personally I feel there are more pressing issues they need to sort out - in particular creative consistency across major networks (ie not just the big 5) and also creative flexibility so we can start seeing the sort of executions we see from o/s.
Keen to hear your thoughts.
Article: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23286933-7582,00.html
Thursday, February 7, 2008
inthemix number 1 in music - or are they?
According to Neilsen they are - from AdNews ...
"inthemix.com.au takes #1 for music
SYDNEY: Independent music community website inthemix.com.au has taken the top position as Australia’s highest ranking music website, according to Nielsen Online. With 18.8% share of the online music category, inthemix.com.au reached 240,000 monthly unique browsers in January - the only publisher in the top five to record positive growth. Managing director Neil Ackland commented: “Most of the bigger publishers have the challenge of trying to be everything to everyone, where as we’ve just remained 100% focused on being the best within our niche.” inthemix.com.au is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sound Alliance, Australia’s largest independent online publisher."
Lets look a little closer shall we. Are they really Number 1 or is this smart spin doctoring ...
Well ... according to Neilsen Market Intellgence (side side measurement) inthemix are indeed the number 1 PURE music play ... ninemsn and Fairfax Music properties are included in their overall Entertainment figure ... so it's hard to really know who is the leader here. The interesting thing is publishers have to PAY to be on Neilsen Market Intelligence data ... which means, you guessed it, many sites are not included.
But according to Neilse Netview - the panel based online measurement arm of Neilsen, inthemix aren't even in the top 10 - falling behind AOL, Bigpond Music, MCM, Yahoo!, sanity, Lyrics A-Z, MTV International, Warner Music, Sony Music, Lyrics Freak and ARIA Charts ...
How can this be I hear some of you ask ... well Netview takes into account ALL sites and Market Intelligence is purely the sites that pay to be included in the measurement.
This isn't taking anything away from inthemix - it's a great site and I have been using it for the past 8 years, it's just their claim (which is ultimately to get some PR and noise out there) isn't exactly as cut and dry as it's claimed.
I am also confused as to why AdNews publishes stats without doing their own research ...
"inthemix.com.au takes #1 for music
SYDNEY: Independent music community website inthemix.com.au has taken the top position as Australia’s highest ranking music website, according to Nielsen Online. With 18.8% share of the online music category, inthemix.com.au reached 240,000 monthly unique browsers in January - the only publisher in the top five to record positive growth. Managing director Neil Ackland commented: “Most of the bigger publishers have the challenge of trying to be everything to everyone, where as we’ve just remained 100% focused on being the best within our niche.” inthemix.com.au is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sound Alliance, Australia’s largest independent online publisher."
Lets look a little closer shall we. Are they really Number 1 or is this smart spin doctoring ...
Well ... according to Neilsen Market Intellgence (side side measurement) inthemix are indeed the number 1 PURE music play ... ninemsn and Fairfax Music properties are included in their overall Entertainment figure ... so it's hard to really know who is the leader here. The interesting thing is publishers have to PAY to be on Neilsen Market Intelligence data ... which means, you guessed it, many sites are not included.
But according to Neilse Netview - the panel based online measurement arm of Neilsen, inthemix aren't even in the top 10 - falling behind AOL, Bigpond Music, MCM, Yahoo!, sanity, Lyrics A-Z, MTV International, Warner Music, Sony Music, Lyrics Freak and ARIA Charts ...
How can this be I hear some of you ask ... well Netview takes into account ALL sites and Market Intelligence is purely the sites that pay to be included in the measurement.
This isn't taking anything away from inthemix - it's a great site and I have been using it for the past 8 years, it's just their claim (which is ultimately to get some PR and noise out there) isn't exactly as cut and dry as it's claimed.
I am also confused as to why AdNews publishes stats without doing their own research ...
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