As part of “its commitment to reflect important demographic and household characteristics in its National TV panel,” Nielsen has revealed that it will expand its reporting capabilities to identify same gender spouses and partners and their households.
To accomplish this, Nielsen is working closely with pro-LGBT group GLAAD to determine the best approaches for reflecting the inclusion and representation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals in its panels.
This includes reviewing its evaluation and recruiting and classification techniques, to help better identify same-gender spouses and unmarried partner households and encourage them to participate in Nielsen’s nationally representative panel.
“As the media marketplace continues to evolve, our clients are increasingly looking to better understand consumers of all types to effectively reach new and unique audiences,” Nielsen SVP/Product Leadership Brian Fuhrer said. “This translates directly into why diversity and inclusion is a business imperative for Nielsen and why we will continue to invest in ways to ensure our world-class TV panel reflects the true diversity of the consumer landscape. This enhancement will help both programmers and marketers gain LGBTQ audience insights and provide the industry with better understand the compelling opportunity these consumers represent.”
GLAAD President/CEO Sarah Kate Ellis added, “We are at the highest levels ever reported for LGBTQ inclusion on television, and it’s important that we know American audiences are connecting with these characters and shows. We appreciate Nielsen’s commitment to ensuring that LGBTQ people wherever they live and consume television are being counted– and that those numbers are being reported. GLAAD is proud to work alongside them as they continue to expand and enhance their capabilities.”
