Project Apollo Prepares to Release First Wave of Data

Arbitron and Nielsen Media Research are preparing to release the first data to come from the research project, dubbed Project Apollo, that is looking into the creation of a single-source, national research service based on Arbitron’s portable people meter system and ACNielsen’s Homescan technology.

According to a letter sent to media partners from Arbitron and Nielsen, “You will receive reports for 20 categories and 50 brands,” reports MediaPost. The data will include CPG companies and other categories such as financial services, automotive and cinema/movies.

The data is based on “single-source” research on both the media that consumers are exposed to, on the products which they purchase and on the person doing the purchasing. This data, which Arbitron once called Buyergraphics, could change the traditional age and sex demos that are now the basis of media deals. Instead of buying TV programs based on the number of adults 18-49 who watch it, advertisers might make purchase decisions based on how many orange juice drinkers watch the show, the article claims.

The pilot study is based on a sample of 5,400 households and 11,000 persons ages six years and older who have agreed to use Arbitron’s portable people meters to measure their media usage. They have also agreed to have their household product purchases scanned by ACNielsen’s Homescan system.

To date, test results indicated that the pilot has a good representation of the U.S. population and that compliance levels have also been good. Results also indicate that there is a great difference between conventional Nielsen demographic ratings and the composition of actual brand purchasers for most programming genres, according to the article.

Sponsors of the study include Kraft, Pfizer, P&G, Unilever and SC Johnson.

When Nielsen bowed out of entering into a business partnership with Arbitron to use that company’s PPM for measuring TV ratings, choosing instead to take an approach that combined local people meters with DVR data and the expansion of its national sample, industry insiders wondered if Project Apollo was at risk. However, Nielsen said at the time that its decision would not affect the Project Apollo pilot.