Regarding Arbitron's Accelerated PPM Rollout (3/15/06 RBR #52);
The Arbitron acceleration of its PPM rollout which has come on the heels of their aggressive, advertising agency endorsement campaign last month, appears a bit hurried or maybe a little frantic, when you consider the Next Generation Electronics Evaluation Team (NGEET) winner will be selected in a few months with field tests already being planned today.
With this NGEET vendor search maturing into what could be the discovery of a more practical and affordable methodology, one could expect that Arbitron feels a little vulnerable at this point, which I am certain Arbitron is feeling for the first time in their history. A feeling, I might add, the majority of the GM's in this country have felt many times throughout their Station/Arbitron relationship.
The fact of the matter is, the NGEET committee is going to choose either Arbitron, Media Audit or MediaMark as their choice for the best solution to radio's ratings needs, and that decision is only a few months away. You do not have to look beyond the approval committee to realize why Arbitron has only two radio group commitments. Therefore, why would Arbitron try to do, what appears to be, an end-around maneuver (accelerated PPM rollout) when so many decision makers are patiently waiting for the results of the NGEET committee search, and might think it premature to extend a commitment to Arbitron.
Based upon what Arbitron has said in the past, Arbitron believes they have the inside track on the technology. They are on record as saying the PPM is the better technology and the utility of the cell phone as a delivery platform was undependable, which they had determined early in their R&D process, yet they can't seem to wait for the Media Audit/IPSOS field tests, which presumably should verify what Arbitron has been saying.
On the other hand, it is possible the Media Audit/IPSOS field test won't support the Arbitron findings and that cell phones are in fact a good and reliable delivery system. If that is the case, then one would have good reason to conclude that Arbitron opted for the PPM technology because a proprietary technology data deliver system would insure against the possibility of a future competitor and all but guarantee an indefinite extension to their 40+ year long, monopoly.
It is no coincidence that our industry, as a whole, finds itself in the final stages of a major selection process for an efficient, effective and hopefully more affordable ratings measurement resource for the industry. This was an entrepreneurial, committee-styled approach by the major broadcast groups to galvanize our collective focus in developing a specific solution benefiting all broadcasters for many years to come.
Tip-Of-The-Hat to John Hogan.
Rodney H. Rainey
RadioMetrix Solutions
Good Morning - Gain a personal edge on today's business day. Are you reading this from a forwarded email?
