We are delighted to announce that Qmedia have won the 2009 Market Research Society award for Advertising and Media Research.

‘In VoD We Trust’ researched Channel 4’s on demand services (4oD), providing the first insight into how viewers watch the content and what that means for advertisers using the new ad-funded platform. As the first major commercial research study of its kind (2008), it has significantly increased industry understanding of Video on Demand (VoD) as a whole:

• How to use VoD in advertising campaigns, to increase reach and maximise engagement
• The brand-building benefits it has for advertisers, which are significantly improved beyond those achieved by linear TV or online display campaigns alone
• How to protect valuable audience enthusiasm, by ensuring that ads are targeted and intrusion minimised.

What the judges said:

This paper outlines one of the first commercial studies undertaken to increase the industry’s understanding of how Video on Demand works as an advertising and communication medium. It was an extensive study both in terms of the number of brands involved and the robustness and scale of the samples used. As a result the research puts a useful value on a relatively unknown medium and has widespread and actionable implications.

It was innovative in terms of the area researched, it delivered real commercial benefit and the research findings have wide implications for the communications industry.”

More details of the research can be seen by viewing our case studies, or find out more about the awards here.

Randal Thomas, Research Manager will be presenting findings from a Qmedia research project undertaken specially for the Showcomotion event.

Qmedia’s presentation takes place on Thursday 2 July at 11am – 12.30pm and looks at how 11-14 year olds are using the internet and how they view TV online.

For more information about the event please visit www.showcomotionconference.com

We look forward to seeing you there!

The qualitative research featured engagement diaries and in-home observation of how people use and engage with TV and online in a natural context: a ‘quasi-ethnographic’ approach. Detailed family interviews and controlled visits to prescribed websites / TV channels provided the opportunity to probe and understand behaviour and attitudes. In-home sessions were video-taped, to add impact and richness to the results presentations.

The quantitative stage employed a 25 minute online survey, conducted among a demographically representative sample of 3,011 respondents. These were ‘digital consumers’: with digital TV and broadband internet in the household and using each medium to at least an average extent: the ‘tech-savvy’. In this way, the approach ensured the research was future-facing and indicative of trends to be expected among the mainstream population over the next few years. The research included six example campaigns, two from each of three market categories: FMCG, cars and financial services. Hence, we were able to provide feedback on the mechanics of each individual campaign, consistent themes within each category and similarities or differences across the categories.

The study provides guidance for planners and creative teams in terms of maximising this opportunity, confirming that using TV and online ads together is significantly more powerful than using either of these media in isolation. It provides the first robust proof of this principle and demonstrates quantitatively how much more powerful combined campaigns can be. Improvements in brand metrics of over 50% were seen for many campaigns. Qmedia and the clients between them have delivered 50+ presentations of the results since launch, whilst also achieving considerable levels of press coverage. In total, around 200 organisations are now believed to have seen these results presented.

This important study delivers clear evidence of just how powerful and effective the TV and online combination is. Advertisers have been clamouring for more research about TV and online and, going forward, I’m certain these results will be highly influential to media planning.
Guy Philipson, CEO IAB

We’ve never had such demand for one of our research studies to be presented.
Dave Brennan, Research & Strategy Director Thinkbox

This research shows that TV and online are perfect partners and I would urge advertisers to recognise the greater impact they can have if they use both together. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. TV benefits from the way online offers a means of expressing and exploring the desires and motivation TV creates. Online usage is not displacing TV viewing and it is time to celebrate the complementarity of these two most powerful digital media.
Tess Alps, CEO Thinkbox

We determined the success of adverts placed in Video on Demand formats in terms of heightening awareness and improving brand metrics such as propensity to purchase, message take out, brand associations.

Channel 4 has presented these ground-breaking results at MRG Lisbon 2008, and to most major media agencies.  The pioneering work has been recognised by the Market Research Society with their 2009 award for Advertising and Media Research.

A combined study with initial in-home qualitative fieldwork at the first stage, which revealed behaviours & added depth to the later quantitative, whilst also providing vox pop evidence for eventual debrief.

The quantitative consisted of three projects from June to November 2008, all using 20-30 minute online surveys and checking respondents’ exposure to the 4 On Demand services via a list of programmes viewed. Test vs control comparisons were achieved by sampling users and non users of the 4 On Demand service, weighted to typical nationally representative profiles and matched where appropriate.

We looked at over 20 campaigns in total, with data analysed at both campaign and aggregated level. Respondents were recruited from a consumer access panel (online), from client’s own website and also subscriber databases.

The study provided an holistic audience understanding, to enable joined-up scheduling, programming and marketing across this brand’s three major media platforms (TV, radio, web).

We sought the views of internal stakeholders from all three platform teams regarding what a successful output would look like for them; simultaneously building on past work to ensure we were not repeating existing findings.

Our combined approach consisted of c. 2,000 online interviews as the basis of the segmentation analysis, which was fleshed out through qualitative group discussions & mini-films.

Designing the quantitative questionnaire we were mindful of the value of complementarity with industry surveys such as TGI, and designed to allow for future data fusion exercises.

The output included an engaging workshop debrief, which involved the audience taking part in a variety of exercises to truly understand the various segments.

We also developed and created an Online Portal for the client, hosting snapshot descriptions and HD video footage of segment advocates from the qualitative stage.

Beginning at the end of 2006 and concluding with the channel re-launch in October 2007, the story of how TV channel UKTV G2 became Dave and the centre of attention, rather than just another face in the crowd, is a testament to the value of a strong client relationship and effectively delivered research insight: a high profile example of how research really can make a difference.

Qmedia’s research has been a key element in Dave’s phenomenal success and has been recognised as such by being shortlisted for a 2008 MRS award for Application of Research and a 2008 Research Magazine Award for Business Transformation.

The research programme conducted by Qmedia had three distinct stages, stage one identified opportunities to increase UKTV G2’s audience share and brand ‘stickiness’ amongst target audiences, stage two determined the most impactful and appropriate name for a potential re-brand of UKTV G2 (Dave) and stage three defined the most effective creative route for the re-brand.

A key component of the research at each stage were the UKTV G2 (Stages 1 and 2) and Dave (Stage 3) branded online forums, run after the face-to-face group sessions with target and core viewers. This allowed us to re-visit respondents after initial analysis and discussion with the UKTV Team to further explore key themes through a series of daily questions.

Within one month of launch, Dave’s audience share increased by 35%; in three months the channel had attracted an additional eight million viewers to the UKTV network and in six months it had delivered £4.5m profit. Dubbed “the shock hit channel of the year” by the Guardian, the evidence of success of the re-brand is overwhelming.

The clarity of Qmedia’s story regarding UKTV G2’s identity crisis prompted us into action and kick-started the UKTV G2 re-branding process.
Luke Hales, Strategic Research & Planning Manager, UKTV

Qmedia and the research they undertook was fundamental to the development of the ‘Dave’ concept. Their research led to the channel’s positioning and ultimately helped us realise our creative routes full potential. Having Qmedia work across the research’s three stages ensured we worked with a company who fully understood where we were going and what we were trying to achieve. This bore out in the success of the channels launch and the strength of the brand that has been created.
Steve North, Dave Channel Head, UKTV

We mapped the landscape in terms of penetration vs competitors, across both traditional and new media platforms (eg mobile wapsites, red button interactive services, social networking sites).

The study established how best to broaden an audience for a particular campaign into different demographic types and
grow a campaign’s audience by adding platforms to a planned campaign.

Reach was surveyed in terms of usage of the platforms, and captured for different lengths of time (eg use in a typical day, in a typical week, in a typical month etc) in order to inform campaign length planning

Our analysis included discrete choice modelling to develop a planning tool that could be used to decide which combination of platforms should be used, to obtain a given level of reach among a particular audience

The fieldwork strategy was CAPI omnibus, designed to complement Touchpoints 2 and other industry surveys by providing additional granularity for the brands of interest.

The study was the first of its kind to combine both an Expert and Consumer methodology and provides a ‘microscopic’ analysis of how 21st Century households function technology wise.

We undertook 10 ethnographic visits to Leading Edge and Mainstream households and for some visits, even stayed overnight in the household itself. The consumers filled in a Qmedia designed online viewing diary before our visit and an online forum after we had left so we could establish a full and considered views of each home’s viewing behaviour.

Qmedia also spoke to five leading industry experts to ascertain their perceptions of the way the industry was moving: Gary Knight (Brand Sponsorship Director, ITV), Guy Phillipson (CEO, IAB), Tess Alps (CEO, Thinkbox), Richard Oliver (Managing Partner, Universal McCann), David Orman (CEO, Joost).

The study fully assessed the implications of a new model of (TV) viewing based on emerging and changing familial habits and trends and looked at the changing digital and technological landscape and how this is likely to impact on future “audio-visual” (content) consumption.

Excerpts of our work were used at the 2008 MRG Conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

Qmedia has conducted the qualitative research programme for the last eight series (2001-2008) of the king of all reality TV shows: Big Brother

Our research approach, like Big Brother itself, has evolved significantly over this time. Big Brother 9 this summer involved a combination of mini-group sessions right across the 13 week series, a separate dedicated Viewer Forum, a ‘Best and Worst’ housemate temperature gauge and a weekly video of viewer reactions

Continual feedback was provided online via the Big Brother Hub – developed and hosted in-house by Qmedia - designed to also include Channel 4’s ratings, making The Hub a one-stop-shop for all matters Big Brother

Our research insights have played a central role in understanding the durability of the brand and developing the concept. We have a close relationship with the research team and series producers – we respond quickly and flexibly to requests for additional reports on specific issues e.g. reactions to complaints to Ofcom about the Golden Ticket winner of Big Brother 7

Qmedia also conducted the new programme development and post-series evaluation work for 2008’s BB:Celebrity Hijack series

Qmedia developed a tailored online research feedback tool which galvanised both the viewers taking part and the research team at Channel 4. The hub provided us with ongoing insight, which could be immediately utilised to develop the series.
Donna Booth, Channel 4