January 8, 2017
BY PROF. JIM SAYEGH
Understanding the size and demographic composition of the audience is an essential part of the process of creating any media project. Programs or projects are often tailored to reach a particular group or groups. Producers and marketers seek an analytical understanding of those who consume their products as a way of determining the effectiveness of their efforts. In addition, media production and distribution are costly endeavors that usually require capital from outside individuals or entities in order to acquire the equipment and personnel necessary to bring the project from an idea to a reality. Those investors, commercial or otherwise, are seeking a return on their capital. Measuring the audience is one way of quantifying that return.
Different measurements are used depending on the means of distribution:
THEATRICAL DISTRIBUTION
Ticket sales, or “Box Office”, are the primary measurement means for live theatre, films and multimedia presentations. These gross figures, expressed in the number of tickets sold or in dollar amounts, contain no additional demographic information.
TELEVISION DISTRIBUTION
In the United States, television viewership is measured by the Nielsen Company. Nielsen provides Rating* and Share** information, plus detailed demographic analysis of the audience’s Age and Gender. Those categories are further analyzed in terms of Household Income, Education, Race and Ethnicity and Geographic Location.
INTERNET DISTRIBUTION
Measured by “hits”, or the number of time a particular website has been accessed. The website’s server tracks the IP addresses of the requesting computer, as well as the date and time of the request. In addition, “cookies”, or information about the requesting computer, are often used to determine whether the visitor is new or old. These methods are supplemented by surveys which can attach detailed demographic information to a requester’s IP address.
* Rating: Percentage of the entire television universe (TV set On or Off) watching a particular program at a particular time.
** Share: Percentage of Households Using Television (HUT – TV set is ON) watching a particular program at a particular time.
