How much will Nielsen reveal as it integrates Arbitron personnel and products into its audience measurement process?
That’s what station personnel have been asking since the acquisition closed this fall and now, Nielsen Audio executives are giving more insight into what’s unfolding.
“Our promise is, we will be as open as possible,” said Matt O’Grady, executive vice president and general manager, Local Media for Nielsen, in Baltimore today. Noting that Nielsen is “delighted to work with Arbitron staff” as the company rebrands that Nielsen Audio, O’Grady told attendees of the Nielsen Audio Client Conference and Jacobs Media Summit the company feels well-suited to represent radio audio within the advertising and media landscape.
Nielsen recently included radio “right up there with TV” in its cross-platform report, however he said the audience research firm doesn’t intend to make the two media compete, but rather, point out their collaboration. “It’s not about telling agency buyers that their spend on another screen is wrong,” but that their spend on radio is correct.
“Our external message to the marketplace does just that. Radio is about reach,” says O’Grady, indicating that the point is whether your ad resonates with the public and causes someone to do something based on the ad.
One question he ducked, though, was about whether Nielsen would raise the cost for clients when the company implements already announced plans to enlarge its Portable People Meter sample.
