Arbitron says response rates are up in big markets
Efforts to improve ratings diary response rates appear to be paying off. Arbitron reports that response rates were up in the top 100 markets for the Fall 2004 survey, with the biggest improvement in the top 10 markets, although the rate was down for markets 101+. Even in those smaller markets there was improvement in the rate of diaries actually being returned by recipients.
In the Fall 2004 survey, Arbitron continued pre-placement and follow-up treatments that were introduced Spring 2004 in 20 low-response rate metros for young male, black, and Hispanic households. In the 20 "targeted" low-response metros surveyed in Fall 2004, Arbitron says the treatments increased response rates by 2.7 percentage points, from 26.4% in Fall 2003 to 29.1% in Fall 2004.
Starting with the Winter 2005 survey, Arbitron is sending a letter and a two-dollar premium to New York and Los Angeles households that initially refuse to participate while in the early stages of the survey recruitment process. The mailing is used only when it can be scheduled to arrive at the household before the standard "refusal conversion" call that Arbitron makes to all households that say 'No' in their first contact with Arbitron. Also in 2005, Arbitron is expanding the use of a five-bucks "Thank You" premium to 10 additional markets. The "Thank You" premium was previously used in the 20 "low-response" markets, which have seen a 2.7 percentage point response increase in the Fall 2004 survey.
Average Survey Compliance Rates
(percent)
Fall 2004 vs. Fall 2003
|
|
Response Rate
|
Consent Rate
|
Return Rate
|
|
|
2004
|
2003
|
Diff.
|
2004
|
2003
|
Diff.
|
2004
|
2003
|
Diff.
|
|
All Markets
|
32.9
|
33.1
|
-0.2
|
57.6
|
58.2
|
-0.6
|
56.6
|
56.1
|
+0.5
|
|
Top 10
|
29.5
|
27.9
|
+1.6
|
52.9
|
51.1
|
+1.2
|
55.2
|
53.9
|
+1.3
|
|
Top 25
|
29.7
|
28.7
|
+1.0
|
53.2
|
52.3
|
+0.9
|
55.4
|
54.2
|
+1.2
|
|
Rank 26-50
|
29.6
|
28.8
|
+0.8
|
53.4
|
53.1
|
+0.3
|
54.8
|
53.6
|
+1.2
|
|
Rank 51-100
|
30.9
|
30.7
|
+0.2
|
54.7
|
55.0
|
-0.3
|
56.2
|
55.4
|
+0.8
|
|
Rank 101+
|
34.2
|
34.9
|
-0.7
|
59.5
|
60.6
|
-1.1
|
57.1
|
56.9
|
+0.2
|
Source: Arbitron
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