Arbitron Touts PPM Demographic Sample Quality
Jan 6, 2009 8:27 AM
New York – Dec 31, 2008 – Arbitron released a summary of sample quality metrics for the December 2008 Portable People Meter (PPM) survey report. On average, across 14 PPM currency markets for the December 2008 survey reports that released Dec. 31 PPM panels:
- exceed the persons age 6 and older sample target by 8 percent;
- exceed the persons age 18-54 sample target by 2 percent;
- exceed the black persons age 6 and older sample target by 6 percent; and
- exceed the Hispanic persons age 6 and older sample target by 14 percent.
On average, in the eight PPM markets that qualify for Spanish-language weighting, the PPM panels exceed the Hispanic Spanish-Dominant sample targets by 38 percent; and exceed the English-Dominant sample targets by 9 percent.Among the persons age 18-34 demographic, the average performance across the 14 markets is 93 percent of the sample target. By race/ethnicity, black persons age 18-34 averaged 92 percent of target and Hispanic persons age 18-34 averaged 101 percent of target.In-tab rate for persons 6+ across the 14 PPM-currency markets for the December 2008 PPM survey reports averaged 79 percent, which is 4 percentage points higher than the benchmark of 75 percent.Details of the report are posted at the Arbitron website.Given the pressure that Arbitron is receiving from minority groups, this data shows well for the survey company, although it is unlikely that this will appease the minority groups in their arguments.
