SINGAPORE (THE BUSINESS TIMES) - Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) has partnered market research company GfK to conduct a new biannual study on media consumption, using a novel single-source approach that combines survey data with digitally-collected data.
Commissioned by SPH, the study will focus on a more consumer-centric and single-source panel to give a refreshed view of how audiences consume media.
It aims to understand the "changes to the audience profile with the proliferation of multiple media platforms, products and formats with insights that will go beyond just reach and frequency", said SPH in a press statement on Monday (Feb 1).
The study will be released in two waves of data that track audience behaviour and changes. SPH is targeting to release the first integrated report, which includes the use of print, radio and digital, in June 2021. A second integrated report is scheduled for release at the end of the year.
Some 3,000 individuals will be selected for each of the main surveys to provide data on their print and radio habits. This will be combined with digital data collected by GfK and SPH to result in a broader picture of media consumption.
Meanwhile, GfK will offer the industry its own software solution to provide in-depth analysis of the data which will identify media engagement and examine media consumption, with deep dives into SPH's print, digital media and radio platforms. Insights from general consumers and paying subscribers will also be available specific to print.
Mr Lee Risk, commercial director at GfK, said the research will be the first of its kind in Singapore that measures not only what people read and listen to, but also why they consume their choices of media.
According to SPH chief commercial officer Ignatius Low, the new study will shed more light on media engagement and other qualitative aspects of SPH audience and show how they interact with the company's content across various platforms.
Despite having been improved over time, the current survey on media consumption in Singapore remains a "largely quantitative measure of audience size" as it was established a few decades ago when offline channels such as print dominated the advertising market, he noted.
"For a long time, national reach was indeed the headline reason for advertisers to invest in an SPH media solution, but other vital distinguishing characteristics tended to go under the radar. This includes the fact that an advertising campaign run on SPH media is always publicly visible and audible, sparking conversations that improve recall and move consumers closer to conversion," said Mr Low.
"We think (the new study) will be useful for savvy marketers who know that advertising is only a means to an end, and the consumer's decision to buy something or visit an event or a store is the result of human fuzzy logic that processes impressions and conversations that happen both offline and online," he added.
