Contenido

Es evidente que algunos medios tienen más facilidad que otros para conocer el alcance de sus productos. Así, por ejemplo, la prensa escrita dispone de un número más o menos aproximado de sus lectores gracias al número de ejemplares vendidos. El cine conoce el número exacto de sus espectadores gracias al taquillaje. Pero en el caso de la televisión y la radio "Radio (medio de comunicación)"), es difícil conocer esa cifra. Ambas emplearon en sus inicios las cartas enviadas por los espectadores u oyentes para hacerse una idea del número de telespectadores y oyentes, respectivamente. Sin embargo, este no es un método fiable, ya que dicha correspondencia no representa a la audiencia "Audiencia (televisión)") total y por tanto sus opiniones no pueden extrapolarse.

The survey

The poll is the technique used to measure audiences on television. The method consists of selecting a certain number of people called sample and asking them about their consumption of audiovisual products broadcast on television. The chosen people are assumed to be representative of the total audience to be measured, so individual results can be globalized.

Even so, we must always remember the estimative nature of the polls. Amparo Huertas, citing Beville, states that "by questioning a small portion of the total population or universe to be studied, the television consumption of the whole is estimated."

To interpret a survey we must take into account two concepts: the margin of sampling error (in English: sampling error) and the confidence interval (in English: confidence interval). The margin of sampling error is the difference that would exist between the results provided by a survey that used a sample and those that would have been provided by a survey of the entire audience. The smaller this margin, the higher the quality of the survey. For its part, the confidence interval refers to the probability of obtaining the same results (within the margin of sampling error), if a new sample survey is carried out. Together, these two concepts represent the precision with which we can infer population values from the sample. It should be noted that both the margin of sampling error and the confidence interval can only be calculated when the sample was selected randomly or probabilistically.[5]​.

The correctness of the survey also depends on the veracity of the answers provided by the people interviewed. To increase the likelihood that they will answer truthfully, it is necessary to design the questions carefully, in addition to providing guarantees of confidentiality or anonymity of the answers.

Panel with listening diary

This technique requires that each of the members of the sample write down their television consumption on a form each day. The form consists of a grid with the 24 hours of the day divided into 15-minute fractions.

This technique was created to avoid some problems caused by the interview. The individual no longer has to resort to remembering what he saw at a certain moment, and the interviewer becomes unnecessary, which makes the study cheaper and eliminates the risk of the interviewee lying about his consumption.

Of course, this method also comes with some disadvantages. The forms have to be delivered, and when they have been filled out, they have to be collected, which involves a high expense. Another problem lies in erroneous answers and the lack of responses from users.

Audimeter

The audiometer "Audimeter (television)") connects to the television and automatically measures the audience permanently. It was invented in 1936 by Robert F. Elder and Louis Woodruff, both professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States. At first, its function was to measure the number of radio devices "Radio (communication medium)") turned on and record the station they were tuned to. This primitive audiometer was connected to the radio dial and recorded the data obtained on a roll of paper.

The first company to opt for this new measurement system was Nielsen, in the 1940s. Technicians from the company collected the rolls of paper daily to study them and replaced them with new ones. Later, the paper rolls were replaced by 16 mm films, which simplified the task of replacing them and reduced financial expenditure considerably (the users of the audiometer themselves could replace them).

Starting in the 1950s, the audiometer was consolidated as an audience meter in a new medium: television. Since then he has dedicated himself exclusively to it, perfecting himself and gaining in precision. Proof of this are the nearly 200 models that the Nielsen company developed, of which only 24 were finally operational.

The current audiometer has evolved so much that it allows a large amount of data to be stored on a small hard drive, so power outages do not affect data collection, which is usually daily and is done at the end of the day automatically and through the telephone line.

In recent times the sophistication of these devices has increased. Normal audiometers were only capable of measuring the number of homes that connected to a television channel, which has been surpassed with the individual audiometer, capable of counting the number of viewers. This new model has a remote control in which each member of the family is assigned a number, which they press when they are going to watch television, so that the audiometer knows at all times who or those are consuming a television product. The remaining buttons on the remote control can be used by visitors who do not have any other buttons assigned to them.

One step beyond the individual audiometer there are several prototypical models that were not standardized due to their complexity. An audiometer tested only in Switzerland asked questions to the viewer while they watched television. An American model included a barcode reader to know the products that individuals purchased throughout the day.

But the great disadvantage of the audiometers mentioned so far is the great collaboration they require from users, which makes many of them reluctant to install one in their home despite the compensation that is achieved for doing so. For this reason, the industry is moving toward individual, but passive viewer counting. Already in 1957, the Nielsen company headed towards that idea. He did it with a curious cushion-shaped audiometer that was activated every time someone sat on it. The problems with this model quickly became apparent, since many times when people used the cushion they were not watching television. In France, have been used that detect any movement in the room, even whether or not the individual is looking at the television set. Models similar to the previous one were developed again by , incorporating infrared and video cameras instead of photoelectric cells. This led to numerous protests over the resulting lack of privacy and the models were removed.

Spain is a special case when it comes to audience measurement. When television arrived in Spain, TVE held a television monopoly: there was only one channel. At this time, audience measurement was carried out through the so-called General Media Study (EGM), carried out by the Spanish Association of Advertisers (although in 1975 it was established as a public limited company).

The General Media Study is a multimedia study, that is, it includes measurements of the number of viewers, the number of readers of daily press, magazines, supplements, radio listeners "Radio (media)") and viewers in movie theaters. In 1996 it also began to carry out Internet measurements, today with a definitive award for its measurement in Spain. The method used to collect data is the interview about the memory of the day before. The study relied on opinion institutes to collect data, with Metra Seis and Eco being two of the most prominent.

With the arrival of the eighties, RTVE decided to call two contests to carry out its own audience measurement, independent of that carried out by the EGM. It was intended to be based on a more modern system for data collection: the audiometer "Audimeter (television)"). Initially, RTVE hoped that the result of this future study would be for exclusive use, although it ended up accepting that it be in the public domain, as requested by the regional television stations, to guarantee its reliability. Finally, the company chosen was the company Ecotel"), in March 1986. It owned 60% of Entel (former subsidiary of Telefónica) and 40% of the polling institute Ecoconsulting.

In 1989 Media Control emerged, a polling company that aspired to compete directly with Ecotel, at a time when new private television channels were beginning to emerge in Spain. Already in 1990, the coexistence of Ecotel and Media Control was unsustainable: with the same technology (the audiometer) the results they offered were very different. After a difficult period for Ecotel, the company was finally absorbed by the French company Sofres") (owner of Media Control). In April 1993 Sofres Audiencia de Medios was presented as a new company, thus making the merger between Ecotel and Media Control effective and definitive.

In 1993, the audiovisual consultancy Gabinete de Estudios de la Comunicación Audiovisual" (GECA) was founded, which develops Link TV, a system that analyzes audiometric data in web format and has been exported to Italy, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina and Brazil.

In 1999, the company Barlovento Comunicación appeared, which sold Audiometer TV, a tool similar to the one mentioned.

Since 2000, Infortécnica with the Audience Portal covers the measurement of audiences of local and regional media. General studies, apart from large capitals and densely populated centers, do not detail local or municipal results with an acceptable degree of reliability.

In 2010, Sofres Audiencia de Medios was renamed Kantar Media. In this way, Kantar Media and EGM measurements continue to be the main ones responsible for measuring audiences in Spain. Kantar Media has specialized in the television field thanks to its audiometric panel; while the EGM continues to use the interview technique, making it the reference point for the rest of the media.

More recently, audience measurements have been carried out with apps on mobile phones, in media such as local radio, not surveyed by audience measurement systems. The procedure also allows the introduction of training feedback and information of interest to people who report their listening habits.[6]​.

Social media audience analysis is the process of examining and understanding the demographic characteristics, behaviors, interests and preferences of followers or users who interact with a brand, company or entity on social media platforms, such as: X, YouTube, FaceBook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn.

In the analysis of audiences on social networks, various metrics are used to better understand the behavior and characteristics of the followers of a brand or entity on digital platforms. Among them, the most common that are repeated in various studies are those quantitative variables related to audience participation ([7]​) and those qualitative techniques that allow examining audience comments ([8]​).

Quantitative variables.

Interactions and participation:.

Techniques that offer qualitative information.

However, to extend knowledge about the different types of audience analysis on social networks, the following studies on this technique are recommended. ([9]​ [10]​ [11]​).

Contenido

Es evidente que algunos medios tienen más facilidad que otros para conocer el alcance de sus productos. Así, por ejemplo, la prensa escrita dispone de un número más o menos aproximado de sus lectores gracias al número de ejemplares vendidos. El cine conoce el número exacto de sus espectadores gracias al taquillaje. Pero en el caso de la televisión y la radio "Radio (medio de comunicación)"), es difícil conocer esa cifra. Ambas emplearon en sus inicios las cartas enviadas por los espectadores u oyentes para hacerse una idea del número de telespectadores y oyentes, respectivamente. Sin embargo, este no es un método fiable, ya que dicha correspondencia no representa a la audiencia "Audiencia (televisión)") total y por tanto sus opiniones no pueden extrapolarse.

The survey

The poll is the technique used to measure audiences on television. The method consists of selecting a certain number of people called sample and asking them about their consumption of audiovisual products broadcast on television. The chosen people are assumed to be representative of the total audience to be measured, so individual results can be globalized.

Even so, we must always remember the estimative nature of the polls. Amparo Huertas, citing Beville, states that "by questioning a small portion of the total population or universe to be studied, the television consumption of the whole is estimated."

To interpret a survey we must take into account two concepts: the margin of sampling error (in English: sampling error) and the confidence interval (in English: confidence interval). The margin of sampling error is the difference that would exist between the results provided by a survey that used a sample and those that would have been provided by a survey of the entire audience. The smaller this margin, the higher the quality of the survey. For its part, the confidence interval refers to the probability of obtaining the same results (within the margin of sampling error), if a new sample survey is carried out. Together, these two concepts represent the precision with which we can infer population values from the sample. It should be noted that both the margin of sampling error and the confidence interval can only be calculated when the sample was selected randomly or probabilistically.[5]​.

The correctness of the survey also depends on the veracity of the answers provided by the people interviewed. To increase the likelihood that they will answer truthfully, it is necessary to design the questions carefully, in addition to providing guarantees of confidentiality or anonymity of the answers.

Panel with listening diary

This technique requires that each of the members of the sample write down their television consumption on a form each day. The form consists of a grid with the 24 hours of the day divided into 15-minute fractions.

This technique was created to avoid some problems caused by the interview. The individual no longer has to resort to remembering what he saw at a certain moment, and the interviewer becomes unnecessary, which makes the study cheaper and eliminates the risk of the interviewee lying about his consumption.

Of course, this method also comes with some disadvantages. The forms have to be delivered, and when they have been filled out, they have to be collected, which involves a high expense. Another problem lies in erroneous answers and the lack of responses from users.

Audimeter

The audiometer "Audimeter (television)") connects to the television and automatically measures the audience permanently. It was invented in 1936 by Robert F. Elder and Louis Woodruff, both professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States. At first, its function was to measure the number of radio devices "Radio (communication medium)") turned on and record the station they were tuned to. This primitive audiometer was connected to the radio dial and recorded the data obtained on a roll of paper.

The first company to opt for this new measurement system was Nielsen, in the 1940s. Technicians from the company collected the rolls of paper daily to study them and replaced them with new ones. Later, the paper rolls were replaced by 16 mm films, which simplified the task of replacing them and reduced financial expenditure considerably (the users of the audiometer themselves could replace them).

Starting in the 1950s, the audiometer was consolidated as an audience meter in a new medium: television. Since then he has dedicated himself exclusively to it, perfecting himself and gaining in precision. Proof of this are the nearly 200 models that the Nielsen company developed, of which only 24 were finally operational.

The current audiometer has evolved so much that it allows a large amount of data to be stored on a small hard drive, so power outages do not affect data collection, which is usually daily and is done at the end of the day automatically and through the telephone line.

In recent times the sophistication of these devices has increased. Normal audiometers were only capable of measuring the number of homes that connected to a television channel, which has been surpassed with the individual audiometer, capable of counting the number of viewers. This new model has a remote control in which each member of the family is assigned a number, which they press when they are going to watch television, so that the audiometer knows at all times who or those are consuming a television product. The remaining buttons on the remote control can be used by visitors who do not have any other buttons assigned to them.

One step beyond the individual audiometer there are several prototypical models that were not standardized due to their complexity. An audiometer tested only in Switzerland asked questions to the viewer while they watched television. An American model included a barcode reader to know the products that individuals purchased throughout the day.

But the great disadvantage of the audiometers mentioned so far is the great collaboration they require from users, which makes many of them reluctant to install one in their home despite the compensation that is achieved for doing so. For this reason, the industry is moving toward individual, but passive viewer counting. Already in 1957, the Nielsen company headed towards that idea. He did it with a curious cushion-shaped audiometer that was activated every time someone sat on it. The problems with this model quickly became apparent, since many times when people used the cushion they were not watching television. In France, have been used that detect any movement in the room, even whether or not the individual is looking at the television set. Models similar to the previous one were developed again by , incorporating infrared and video cameras instead of photoelectric cells. This led to numerous protests over the resulting lack of privacy and the models were removed.

Spain is a special case when it comes to audience measurement. When television arrived in Spain, TVE held a television monopoly: there was only one channel. At this time, audience measurement was carried out through the so-called General Media Study (EGM), carried out by the Spanish Association of Advertisers (although in 1975 it was established as a public limited company).

The General Media Study is a multimedia study, that is, it includes measurements of the number of viewers, the number of readers of daily press, magazines, supplements, radio listeners "Radio (media)") and viewers in movie theaters. In 1996 it also began to carry out Internet measurements, today with a definitive award for its measurement in Spain. The method used to collect data is the interview about the memory of the day before. The study relied on opinion institutes to collect data, with Metra Seis and Eco being two of the most prominent.

With the arrival of the eighties, RTVE decided to call two contests to carry out its own audience measurement, independent of that carried out by the EGM. It was intended to be based on a more modern system for data collection: the audiometer "Audimeter (television)"). Initially, RTVE hoped that the result of this future study would be for exclusive use, although it ended up accepting that it be in the public domain, as requested by the regional television stations, to guarantee its reliability. Finally, the company chosen was the company Ecotel"), in March 1986. It owned 60% of Entel (former subsidiary of Telefónica) and 40% of the polling institute Ecoconsulting.

In 1989 Media Control emerged, a polling company that aspired to compete directly with Ecotel, at a time when new private television channels were beginning to emerge in Spain. Already in 1990, the coexistence of Ecotel and Media Control was unsustainable: with the same technology (the audiometer) the results they offered were very different. After a difficult period for Ecotel, the company was finally absorbed by the French company Sofres") (owner of Media Control). In April 1993 Sofres Audiencia de Medios was presented as a new company, thus making the merger between Ecotel and Media Control effective and definitive.

In 1993, the audiovisual consultancy Gabinete de Estudios de la Comunicación Audiovisual" (GECA) was founded, which develops Link TV, a system that analyzes audiometric data in web format and has been exported to Italy, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina and Brazil.

In 1999, the company Barlovento Comunicación appeared, which sold Audiometer TV, a tool similar to the one mentioned.

Since 2000, Infortécnica with the Audience Portal covers the measurement of audiences of local and regional media. General studies, apart from large capitals and densely populated centers, do not detail local or municipal results with an acceptable degree of reliability.

In 2010, Sofres Audiencia de Medios was renamed Kantar Media. In this way, Kantar Media and EGM measurements continue to be the main ones responsible for measuring audiences in Spain. Kantar Media has specialized in the television field thanks to its audiometric panel; while the EGM continues to use the interview technique, making it the reference point for the rest of the media.

More recently, audience measurements have been carried out with apps on mobile phones, in media such as local radio, not surveyed by audience measurement systems. The procedure also allows the introduction of training feedback and information of interest to people who report their listening habits.[6]​.

Social media audience analysis is the process of examining and understanding the demographic characteristics, behaviors, interests and preferences of followers or users who interact with a brand, company or entity on social media platforms, such as: X, YouTube, FaceBook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn.

In the analysis of audiences on social networks, various metrics are used to better understand the behavior and characteristics of the followers of a brand or entity on digital platforms. Among them, the most common that are repeated in various studies are those quantitative variables related to audience participation ([7]​) and those qualitative techniques that allow examining audience comments ([8]​).

Quantitative variables.

Interactions and participation:.

Techniques that offer qualitative information.

However, to extend knowledge about the different types of audience analysis on social networks, the following studies on this technique are recommended. ([9]​ [10]​ [11]​).