Can MRUC find cost-effective ways to resume IRS?

For the past three years, the familiar annual tradition of a front-page anchor story in nearly all prominent publications, which meticulously analysed readership numbers until uncovering their unique path to leadership, has been conspicuously absent.

While almost everything else has resumed normalcy post the pandemic, the Indian Readership Survey (IRS) continues to be suspended.

The print industry, therefore, has been running the show without the latest readership numbers.

The last survey was conducted in 2019 with a sample size of 3.27 lakh households across India with an urban sample size of 2,14,000 households and 1,13,000 households for rural.

But how long can it continue to run on this 4-year-old data? And how long will it take for the IRS to make a comeback?

Going by the latest buzz in the industry, amidst subtle resistance from a few players towards the resumption of the IRS, the MRUC board seems bullish in its efforts to revive the survey. The latest attempt was made this Monday when the board met to discuss possibilities of bringing it back and how.

If industry sources are to be believed, the biggest challenge in reviving the survey is to manage the required funds. As per an estimate, the IRS, the way it has been conducted traditionally needs a budget of Rs 25 crore to Rs 30 crore. The print industry has been under stress for the last few years due to the rise of digital news, an increase in newsprint prices (which has now finally stabilized) and a significant drop in subscription numbers during the pandemic. The players are hence in no mood to spend on conducting the survey - at least not a significant amount.

So, the option before the board now is to explore alternate “cost-effective” ways to conduct the survey. For instance, one way could be to conduct a part of it online. But even that is being opposed by the ‘purist’ lobby, which wants the survey to be conducted as per the old, tried and trusted methodology.

Sources have hinted that in the next board meeting on September 26, the MRUC technical committee is expected to come up with viable options that are acceptable to all parties, leading to the possible revival of the IRS.

Pointing out the other challenge, a senior executive said, “The process of the survey is so long and detailed that even if MRUC finds a solution in the next month or so, the survey will not be ready before the next year. This means, in all, there will be four years without a measurement.”

Is this delay deliberate?

Talking on the condition of anonymity, another senior executive hinted that the delays are deliberate as the print industry fears a measurement may go against it.

“The prevailing notion suggests that publishers might be deliberately evading participation in the survey due to concerns about a potential downward trend in print readership. This apprehension stems from the broader shifts in media consumption patterns that have been witnessed in the recent years,” he added.

The rise of digital media platforms and the widespread accessibility of online content have undoubtedly influenced how people consume information and news.

The 2019 survey, which is pre-Covid, had indicated a drop in print readership numbers. This gap is expected to have widened significantly post the pandemic.

“Participating in a readership survey, especially after a hiatus caused by the pandemic, could entail revealing statistics that reflect a decline in print readership figures. This, in turn, could fuel concerns about the long-term viability of print publications in an era dominated by digital channels. Publishers might fear that such data could be used against them in negotiations with advertisers, potentially affecting their ability to secure advertising revenue,” the senior executive further said.

Meanwhile, there are other stakeholders who believe that measurement is important and it is only when they will have these numbers that they will be in a better position to negotiate. “Due to the lack of available statistical data, the print industry has found itself at a disadvantage when it comes to engaging in negotiations with advertisers. Without the essential numerical insights provided by readership surveys and other metrics, the industry has been grappling with a significant informational gap,” claimed a publisher.

Advertisers on the other hand are pushing for data. “In normal circumstances, advertisers rely heavily on data such as readership numbers, audience demographics, and engagement metrics to make informed decisions about where to allocate their advertising budgets,” shared an advertiser.

All eyes are now on MRUC’s tech committee to see how they will resolve the IRS issue, and pave way for the survey’s revival.