Point of view: magazines' secret weapon - media selection on the basis of behaviour as opposed to demography

Theodore F D'Amico

The most widely used sources for measuring radio and television audiences are Arbitron and Nielsen, respectively.

Magazines’ Secret Weapon: Media Selection on the Basis of Behavior, as Opposed to Demography

Theodore F. D'Amico

A basic tenet underlying the 'traditional' method of media selection is that target audience membership can be used to accurately predict consumer behavior. An analysis of over 1,700 consumer measures taken from MRI’s 1998 Doublebase Study clearly shows that this is not the case. Specifically, an analysis of MRI (Mediamark Research Inc.) data showed that, on average, target audience membership 'explained' less than 2 percent of total variance. In addition to not being able to predict consumer behavior, the 'traditional' method can be...

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