Researching & Measuring

Entertainment Audiences

Chapter 8

Why we conduct research

Finding out and describing - tracks a changing audience landscape

Explaining - answer ‘why’ questions for predicting future trends

Evaluating - judging success or failure

Branches of Empirical Research

Theoretical data research - draws general conclusions about a phenomenon through deductive hypothesis testing

Applied data research - inductive, interpretive model that explores and discovers audience-related issues

Descriptive Studies

Observation and field-basedUnstructured data collectionEthnographic approachCulture-orientationEmic perspective

Consumer Ethnography

Critical incident and trailer call techniques

Critical incident (CIT) identifies ‘best practices’ and audience requirements on a periodic basis. Focus is on an incident, what led up to it and how it helped compete an interaction

Trailer calls obtain immediate feedback on performance of a transaction on a continuous basis using a short list of questions.

Projective Techniques

Information emerges from research

TYPES:

1. Constitutive

2. Constructive

3. Interpretive

4. Cathartic

5. Refractive

Rorschach Test

Haire Study

Good wife1 1/2 lb. hamburger2 loaves Wonder breadBunch carrotsMaxwell House coffee

(drip ground)2 cans Del Monte

peaches6 lbs. potatoes

Lazy Wife

1 1/2 lb. hamburger

2 loaves Wonder bread

Bunch carrots

Nescafe instant coffee

2 cans Del Monte peaches

6 lbs. potatoes

Projective techniques for audience

motivation researchWord associationsSymbolic associationsThematic apperception test (TAT)Object sorting

Rich description techniques

1. Free association

2. Choice ordering

3. Completion

4. Construction

5. Expressive

Free Association

Brand-specific use personification techniques

Photo sorting matches pictures with a brand

Photo and tale collages

Completion Devices

Sentence completion in first or third person

Use in group interactions and individual interviews

Easily developed and administered

Construction Techniques

Story development from specific stimuli

Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique collage development and respondent stories

Cartoon bubble completion

Consumer Collage

Cartoon Bubble

Other techniques

Role playing - generates consumer narratives from their acting out a situation

Brand obituaries - tales help companies understand the brand and its perceived value

Evaluative Research

Audience analysis by syndicated research companies

Exposure ratings use both gross and cumulative measures such as GRP, CPP and CPM.

Advertising Research

Measures who sees the adDetermines audience response to adsEvaluates effect of ad through sales

dataNielsen Media Research tracks

product placement ratingsPodcast audience tallies

Q Factor

Celebrities and stars are rated using the Q rating system where audiences grade using a 6-point scale

In your opinion the performer is….1. One of my favorites2. Very good3. Good4. Fair5. Poor6. Someone I’ve never heard or seen.

Analyzing qualitative research

Sorting and categorization of interview text is used to identify emerging themes

Top-of-mind preferences are used to answer the question ‘why’

Projective techniques yield patternsTriangulation uses multiple methods to

authenticate the data collection and analysis

Internet Audience Research

Chat groupsListservsGroupwareThreaded discussionsGuestbooksSurveymonkey.com

Protocols

Templates for research guidelinesFocus group questionnaireSurvey components: introduction,

completion instructions, questions using scaling techniques, demographic information.

Questions

What is the best method for researching declining attendance at a local performance venue? How would you design data collection and analysis?

What ethical issues are involved in gathering personal information from attendees or participants of events? How can they be overcome?