PPM Five Years Later... What We've Learned

At the Arbitron Client Conference in Annapolis:

Doc Wynter, Urban Format Captain, Clear Channel:

Diary had us believing that they spent a lot of time with just us.  PPM provided a wake up call.  Now, we know they have been "unfaithful." 

We have to earn and deserve their time with us.

Today's audience is a lot different than when we were growing up and we need to not just understand them, but be compelling and interesting enough to engage them, involve them.  Talent's natural tendency is to use what they learned as a point of reference.  That methodolgy and content are often dated.  PPM underscores that listeners only use what's relevant to them, not relevant to you.

Due to emerging technology it has been much more difficult to get a message across than in the past.  Competition for attention is greater than ever.

Time spent per occasion, we now know, is 8-10 minutes.  Remember when we used to believe that they listened for 8-10 hours a week?

Experiment.  Challenge the established rules.  Maybe it's five powers an hour, not four.  Measure the effects of the changes.  Be strategic when you experiment.

If you get positive ratings results, know how your got there.

Bill Rose, VP/Arbitron:

Diaries:  you need to cut through perceptually and ultimate translate that changed perception into ratings.  It would take months and months.

Now, with PPM:  it's still driven by perception, the bigger picture.  What motivates them t tune in.  You have to win "the off" before you win "the on."

What cuts through?  "Positioning The Battle For Your Mind" and "22 Immutable Laws Of Marketing."  Two must have books, from Ries and Trout.

You must know:

What is your station known for?  Can listeners identify that?
Does the station have a leadership position in that category?
Do listeners know who the station is for?

Position = what your station is known for.  (75% of your ratings)
Execution = the sum of the little things does right (25% of your share)

Be 60% of "something."  FOCUS.  Don't become too narrow focused unless your sure that the "hole" is large enough to drive the cume you need.

Weekly reports have the same sample size as monthlies, so change comes FAST.  Just like reality.

And, just like with reality, you need to be prepared to react equally quickly.

Make a mistake in one week in diaries, it's 1/12th of the survey.  Every minute counts in PPM.  The good stuff shows us.  So does the bad stuff.  And, either way, it will show up in the ratings right away.

Balance selectivity vs stationality.  That's what programming judgement is about today.

When PPM first started, midday was the highest-rated daypart.  Now, five years later, it's afternoon drive.  Peaks at 7-8 am and 3-5 in the afternoon.

PPM rating generators:  61% of full time working (down from 69% five years ago)

P-1 listeners are still crucial:  42% of daily cume generates 59% of the AQH in PPM for the  country format.

PPM secret from the Urban PD's panel, which followed Doc and Bill's presentations:  "today, it's all about 'now and next,' what's happening now and what's going to happen next."