Nielsen updated clients this week about its Portable People Meter “wearables” initiative.
It hopes that by adding several types of wearable measurement devices, panelists will find the experience better and Nielsen will get better results. It also thinks wearables will increase engagement for demographics with lower compliance and enable more precise “passive” measurement.
The company told clients that its wearables have been vetted by rigorous lab tests, focus groups, dual “carry testing” and a former panelist test. Late last year it placed PPM wearables in a small subset of approximately 3,000 active panelists out of its 60,000+ panelists, replacing current devices with new PPM wearables some existing panel homes and also introducing them to new panel homes.
Nielsen says the wearables meet its quality standards, and that it is evaluating its rollout plan to determine how it can bring PPM wearables into the panel. It expressed confidence that the initiative will include the quality of its measurement and make cross-platform measurement a reality; it should also help diversify its supply chain, given that the PPM is sourced from multiple manufacturers in different locations.
[Related: “Meet Nielsen’s New PPM ‘Wearables,’” August 2021]
