WWO: Xperi’s AutoStage is AM/FM’s “Big Data” Moment
Last week, Cumulus Media announced its new deal with Xperi to use its DTS AutoStage service to get “near–census-level insights into in-car radio consumption.” DTS AutoStage is reporting in-car AM/FM radio audiences in more than 300 local U.S. markets from 6 million vehicles and Cumulus Media | Westwood One says in what is a first for the radio industry, the new data includes overnight ratings in all 300 markets. So, what does this mean?
The key takeaways include: 1) AM/FM radio’s “big data” moment has arrived with massive sample sizes that grow each month: TV has long had cable set top data and smart TV data to generate large samples of tuning data. It’s now radio’s turn! Just like cable set top data, there are no demographics but all markets have large samples. Overall, sample sizes are 5-10X bigger than current ratings samples; 2) Overnight ratings in over 300 markets: In an industry first, every market now has audience shares from yesterday. See your station’s daily audience trends refreshed each day; 3) All listening occurs with humans present: 25% of TV viewing occurs to an empty room but AM/FM radio listening in traveling vehicles always has humans present!; 4) Large samples mean stable listening trends: In all sized markets and for all sized stations, daily share trends are stable and consistent; and 5) AM/FM radio now has modern, cutting edge, timely measurement, which does not rely on a consumer’s memory or require a consumer to do something (like wear a gizmo). See the Audio Active Group blog post here.
for advertisers, “the platform supports more informed media planning through observed audience behavior, large next-day samples, and market-level consumption trends, enabling more precise audience- and market-level planning and better alignment between campaigns and listening trends.” Cumulus Media president of operations Bob Walker says, “We’re proud to be the first broadcaster to deploy AutoStage Broadcaster Portal Premium as part of our broader effort to bring new sources of audience insight to radio. The platform gives us access to a level of audience intelligence that hasn’t previously been available, creating new opportunities for content creators, sales teams, and advertisers alike. The AutoStage heat maps are a particularly compelling example, visually illustrating where listening is concentrated, on an aggregated basis, relative to advertiser locations. By giving advertisers a richer understanding of audience distribution and listening trends, the platform helps them plan more effective campaigns, optimize audience-level planning, and maximize the impact of their radio investments.”