Bottom Line To Remain The Bottom line In Next BARB Contract
The traumatic and protracted switchover process for the current BARB contract was hardly mentioned at the launch of BARB’s consultation project, Future Into View, on Tuesday this week. It would have been impolite to do so – after all, the BARB executive had just presented a very professional and thoughtful analysis of where we are, and where TV research might go in the future, and the words co-operation, listening, consultation and transparency all figured highly.
But the strain of a few years ago was hovering in the air – and nobody wanted a repeat. So the panel session that followed the BARB scene-setting was very considered and almost conservative in its ambitions, and questions from the floor largely copied this measured approach. BARB CEO, Bjarne Thelin, even started to set some very broad expectations when he painted two pictures – one measuring everything that moved with minute by minute analysis, the other a national only panel and no overnight data. The future reality lay somewhere between the two, he said – which left plenty of options open.
Once the panel got a chance to speak (after surely the longest ever intro by a panel chairman in history – take a very brief bow Nigel Whalley of Decipher) a few key themes emerged. As one would expect it was a demographically sound panel, populated by representatives from the agency world, TV sales and programming, the BBC and ISBA – albeit all white middle-aged males!
Will clients spend money if they can’t see supporting research?
“There are occasions when clients and agencies need to take a chance, and gut instinct should be enough,” said Simon Cox Sales Director of Turner. Just possibly, mused Bob Wootton, Media Director at ISBA, but the rule of thumb must be that “every commercial opportunity must be measured, and that means out of home is crucial too.”
How Far Should BARB’s Research Ambitions Go?
“Interactivity is now mainstream,” said Richard Holton, Head of Strategy at the BBC, citing the extensive use of the red button around Chelsea Flower Show coverage recently as supporting evidence. Timeshift viewing leaves us with some “hard investment decisions,” he added
“Robust data” was the much repeated call from Chris Hayward, TV Buying Director at Zenith Media, who described BARB as fundamentally “serving the 70s-80s TV market with some adaptations to manage cable and satellite.” But this wasn’t a slight, he added, TV evolution has not been that rapid – until now.
This last point was also picked up by others on the panel. Holton sagely pointed out how the speed of change is usually over-estimated and the impact under-estimated. The PVR was held up as the technology which was going to change TV five years ago, hasn’t yet, but may well have a huge effect over the next five with Sky’s muscle fully behind it now.
Finally, there was just one cry of “sort out the basics” – from Jeff Eales, the soon-departing Media Director of DDS, who suggested that the quality of data and quality control was declining and that this must be addressed ahead of any further developments. “We need rigid data, get the basics right.”
Measuring Smaller Stations
Chris Hayward’s call for robust data for all stations had been taken up in advance by Tony Wearn, BARB’s Research Director, who mooted average data (maybe over 4 weeks) for smaller stations as an alternative to increasing the panel size. An objection was raised about the differences between weekday and weekend, but one assumes this would be covered – the figures would give an average Tuesday or Saturday (eg) over 4 weeks. How Will BARB Collect Data In The Future?
Bob Wootton liked the potential offered by a combination of people meter and personal meter, but also questioned the vested interests across research bodies, all of whom are measuring consumers, but none of whom seem to want to collaborate in the expensive business of collecting data. “Why aren’t we using the internet to collect data?” he asked.
Cost
This may only have been mentioned a few times – mostly by BARB and the BBC – but cost is bound to remain the defining factor. Smaller stations want to be measured fully, but probably don’t have the funds to enable the panel to be extended beyond its existing 5,100 homes; agencies would love to see out of home research grow, and they may be more lucky if the big TV players see commercial growth in this.
PVRs, interactive television and EPGs are all already high on everyone’s agenda, but research of these brings technical difficulties too. “More complexity will need to feature in any future BARB operation,” said Tony Wearn – with some level of under-statement one suspects.
BARB: www.barb.co.uk