Feb 8, 2022 Updated Feb 8, 2022
In a move that will potentially make radio ratings more accessible to more station owners, Nielsen has launched a new program geared at helping diverse-owned media companies raise their profile with advertisers and agencies. Its Diverse Media Equity program will also include helping minority-owned radio stations to be measured, even if they are unable to afford a subscription, as well as the launch of the first-ever report on diverse-owned media reach and audience profiles.
“Nielsen is investing in diverse-owned media by getting rid of historical barriers in traditional measurement,” CEO David Kenny said in a statement. “Advertisers and the media industry recognize the need to be more inclusive and want to ensure they reach an audience that is increasingly diverse. We are leading the charge to develop a consistent framework and metrics to help demonstrate the value of diverse-owned media.”
As part of the new initiative, Nielsen has released the Diverse-Owned Media Audience Reach and Profiles report. The 36-page report is the first of what the company says will be many reports highlighting the power of listenership to diverse-owned media. The one-stop shop for media buyers includes breakouts for how Black, Hispanic, Asian American and Native American-owned stations reach a diverse audience.
Among its highlights is that Black-owned radio stations account for nearly 30% of the total radio reach among Black adults with Black-owned stations reaching more than 6.4 million Black listeners each week.
“As brands and agencies incorporate more diverse owners into their media plans, it’s important that they consider that bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better,” the report says. “Black-owned radio stations in major markets reach nearly 10% of listeners. But in some of the smallest metros, Black-owned stations attract sizable market share and considerable listener engagement. Black listeners outside the top 50 metros average almost twice as much time with Black-owned radio stations each week than listeners across the U.S.”
Among Hispanic listeners, the report shows how 27% of Hispanic radio listening goes to Hispanic-owned stations in the top 25 metros. It also reveals that Hispanic-owned stations reach nearly 12 million people aged 12 and older in the U.S. The report also finds that Hispanics spend, on average, 30 more minutes listening to Hispanic-owned stations than all audiences.
While the radio station base is smaller for Asian American-targeted outlets, Nielsen notes the community’s potential buying power of $1.3 trillion per year. It also says Asian Americans are twice more likely than the general population to be heavy radio listeners, with 48% of Asian Americans in the heaviest radio-listening quintile.
Nielsen notes that Native Americans are advocating for greater visibility and its report gives them equal footing with other minority groups. Among its radio findings of this segment is that 29% of Native Americans say they find radio advertising provides useful information on new products and services. And half of Native Americans fall into the heaviest radio-listening quintile.
“As an industry, we are just beginning to recognize the power and importance of diverse-owned media,” said Carlos Santiago, of the ANA’s Alliance for Inclusive Multicultural Marketing (AIMM). “The report data gives media buyers a view into the impact of diverse-owned media and will facilitate increased investment from media agencies and major advertisers.”
In collaboration with Procter & Gamble, Nielsen is also seeding a $130,000 reimbursement program with the National Minority Supplier Development Council. The fund, which will be administered by the NMSDC, aims to provide about 200 diverse publishers with the benefits of Minority Business Enterprise certification – something that is frequently required by large companies to qualify for diverse investment. The funds will help cover the certification fees for diverse-owned media suppliers who qualify.
The moves come as more marketers are focused on the media investment strategies in the wake of national protests in 2020 that put a spotlight on racial disparities.
That has included Project Booker, an initiative by Dentsu to get more of its clients to put minority-owned and targeted media outlets on their media plans. General Motors is aiming to spend 8% of its media budget with Black-owned media by 2025, even hosting its own diverse-owned media summit and embracing 30-day payment terms, while Procter & Gamble is looking at programmatic buying to open up its buying process, especially to African American media outlets. As part of a commitment made last year, P&G is working with the programmatic buying platform Reset Digital to funnel more digital ad dollars to Black-owned and operated media.
Download the Diverse-Owned Media Audience Reach and Profiles report HERE.
Article Courtesy of Inside Radio: http://www.insideradio.com/free/nielsen-will-help-minority-owners-gain-access-to-radio-data-as-part-of-new-diversity/article_302f4592-88b6-11ec-8041-53a7e0fb0f8b.html
