A key highlight of the NATPE Mobile++ Conference was the Nielsen session that threw light on mobile data and the impact that this can have on mainline media like television in the near future. Nielsen’s Vice-President of Mobile Media, Jeff Herrmann, spoke on some of the findings from the mobile data. He took the audience through the role that mobile can play in participation TV (P-TV), and how this has contributed to the growth of P-TV in the recent past. Some of the talking points in this session revolved on whether the advent of P-TV and the real time interaction that it entails, would prove to be a DVR (digital video recording) killer.
Speaking from a data point, he informed, “Participation SMS campaigns attract a unique segment of viewers.” At present, in any country, the audience that interacts with a show through mobile participation is an incremental audience for the advertiser, and are yet not treated as a viewer base that can be monetised separately. Herrmann believes that relevant data can play a role in changing that.
He said, “We are here to help develop research so that as the audience grow, they can be developed and monetised. Mobile data would allow broadcasters to treat the mobile audience coming in as a standalone audience that can be independently monetised.” He explained that Nielsen Mobile was present in 12 countries currently, and would be entering India in May 2008.
Nielsen is already talking about mobile video and mobile gaming measurement, in addition to acquiring the basic mobile data. Herrmann said, “In India, we expect video and gaming to be smaller, but it is important to begin benchmarking it now. Once we begin releasing the data, we would be rolling it out every quarter.” The agency is in the process of conducting face-to-face interviews to gather data. “We have a series of question to track device penetration, attitude and preferences to mobile, and carriers, and then mobile video and mobile gaming and so on,” he informed.
Speaking on some of the benefits that India would see once the mobile data is launched, Herrmann said, “This data would help answer questions that everyone is dying to know about the mobile industry. India is the market with the most immediate impact and it can be a leading indicator for mobile distribution. Mobile is in its pure forms in India, and it would be interesting how mobile emerges in this market.”
It may be recalled that in October 2007, the Nielsen Company had announced the launch of Nielsen Online and Nielsen Mobile. While Nielsen Online comprises the company’s Nielsen/NetRatings and BuzzMetrics services, which provide independent measurement and analysis of online audiences, advertising, video, blogs, consumer-generated media, word-of-mouth, commerce and consumer behaviour, Nielsen Mobile will use its measurement tools and large-scale, integrated consumer panels to understand and interpret the behaviour, attitudes and experiences of mobile consumers.
Another key highlight of the day was Mobile Entertainment Forum’s (MEF) announcement of launching a MEF Code for best practice for P-TV services in the US. Suhail Bhat, Policy and Initiatives Director, MEF, informed that at present this code would be for the US market to ensure positive experience with P-TV in the US. He explained that while the problems in markets like the UK had not occurred in the US yet, MEF wanted to take lessons and apply them to the US market. Through a series of workshops and meetings discussing P-TV, MEF tailored a Code for the US with the aim to ensure future success of P-TV and ensure consumer confidence. The culmination of the work was the format adoption of the Code on January 28, 2008 at the NATPE Mobile++ conference.
The MEF also has representation in India with partners like Neeraj Roy of Hungama Mobile. Bhat was quick to point that a Code like this has lessons for various markets that are seeing content growth, India included in the list.