Attention! Updated Spot Radio and TV Cost-Per-Point estimates are now available in SRDS.com.

Most broadcast media buyers understand that an indispensable method for measuring cost-efficiencies is by cost-per-point. CPP is the cost, per 1% of an indicated audience, of buying ad space in a given media vehicle. This data provides buyers with what a CPP should be in the upcoming quarter, by market, by daypart.

As a reminder, Radio and TV/Cable database subscribers can find the SQAD information as follows:

SQAD Spot Radio Cost-Per-Point Estimates

This data can be found under the Radio Search.

TV Household Cost-per-Point Levels

This data can be found under the TV & Cable Search.

Log in now to view the data or if you don’t currently have access to these databases, let us know.

Our data team strives to provide users with the most updated media planning data within SRDS.com. In April, the team made a total of 8,501 updates to the SRDS.com databases with the largest chunk of updates coming from the business publication database. Here's the full breakdown:

• 1,921 newspaper updates
• 54 out-of-home updates
• 409 TV & cable updates
• 717 radio updates
• 1,207 digital updates
• 3,343 business publications updates
• 850 consumer magazine updates

We know that current data matters, so log in and check out some of the changes!

One of my co-workers forwarded me this article, and if you haven’t read it yet, here’s the point:

Mashable reports that Android Police discovered code in YouTube’s most recent app update that suggests that Google may be developing pay-to-view YouTube channels. Specifically, the code alludes to subscribing and unsubscribing from paid YouTube channels, but only on the web version of the site. No subscription info in apps on the horizon, yet.

The idea that “high-quality” video content producers would charge their users to view videos is a tricky subject. Right off the bet there the question of what constitutes a channel that you’d have to pay to view? I don’t know that I would pay to watch any YouTube channel, but then again, I know many people that surf YouTube more than they use Google. They want to see how to cut a pomegranate rather than read about it. Tutorials and how-to’s might be prime for this time of payment model, but the real question is, will users pay?

Time will certainly tell. The other most logical channels that would charge would be TV show channels and those that are tied to musical performers. Whether or not this is just another rumor, it’s hard to ignore.

Publishers: Do you think it’s worth charging fees for users to view videos on your brand’s YouTube channel?

Our team understands the value of current media planning data and they work hard to update listings every single day. In March, the team updated 8,045 SRDS.com listings bringing the 2013 total to 32,581 updates.

Here’s how last month breaks down:

• 2,757 business publications updates
• 2,080 newspaper updates
• 927 TV & cable updates
• 918 consumer magazine updates
• 887 digital updates
• 381 radio updates
• 95 out-of-home updates

We know that current data matters, so take a moment to log in and check out some of the changes!

Unlike the Super Bowl, March Madness doesn’t bring to mind classic TV commercials and millions of dollars for a 30-second spot. The focus is on brackets, betting and the fear that your team will lose in the second round.

But marketers and agencies have increasingly put their chips on the table for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, making it more of a brand promotional opportunity than ever before. Trend data from Kantar Media reveals that the tournament has actually become one of the most valuable properties in all televised sporting events for advertising.

Here are the three biggest takeaways from the report:

1. Since 2004, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament produced more than $5.9 billion in national TV ad spending from 266 different marketers. In 2012, ad revenue exceeded the $1 billion mark for the first time.
2. Digital isn’t just an add-on anymore. This year’s features will include multi-screen digital access to the tournament via PC, smartphone and tablet devices, steaming-live games and ad-sponsored videocasts. There will also be a sponsored bracket game and sponsored “Social Arena” where viewers can follow game tweets and participate in fan chats.
3. The cost to advertise in the tournament has grown over the years and always peaks in the championship game. Last year, the average price of a 30-second TV ad in the championship was $1.34 million, up 8 percent from 2011.

Click over to Kantar Media for an extensive overview of trend advertising data on March Madness.

February was a busy time for the Kantar Media SRDS data team. This time of year the team is really focused on 2013 rates for newspapers, consumer magazines and business publications.

With 16,850 updates to the SRDS databases, they more than doubled their January number. But look at all the updates for the other databases!

• 3,896 radio updates
• 3,551 digital updates
• 3,290  newspaper updates
• 2,910 business publications updates
• 1,909 consumer magazine updates
• 778 TV & cable updates
• 616 out-of-home updates

If you have any questions about the data you find in SRDS online, just let us know!

When you’re in the business of loving media, staying up-to-date with industry news, tips and trends isn’t just optional, it’s a necessary obsession – and a fun one at that!

We thought it would be interesting to poll Kantar Media SRDS employees to find out which e-newsletters and sites make their list of must-reads. While you probably already visit many of these sites, we wager there are at least a few you’ve never heard of—and we love helping you discover new sites. Give them a shot! You never know what new insights you might stumble upon.

1. AAF SmartBrief
2. Ad Age
3. Ad Exhanger
4. Adweek
5. All Things D
6. Art Sobczak's Smart Calling
7. BtoB Magazine
8. Business Insider
9. ClickZ
10. Daily Infographic
11. DM News
12. Editor & Publisher
13. eMarketer Daily
14. Emedia vitals
15. Exchangewire
16. Folio
17. GigaOM
18. HispanicAd Newsletter
19. iMedia Connection
20. I Want Media from AOL
21. Lifehacker
22. LinkedIn Today
23. Mashable
24. Mediabistro
25. Media Daily News
26. Media Life
27. MediaPost
28. MPA Magazine News
29. Multichannel magazine
30. Outsell
31. paidContent from GigaOM
32. Publishing Executive
33. RTB and RTM posts from MediaPost
34. Stack Overflow
35. Target Marketing
36. The Media Briefing
37. TVNewsCheck
38. Web Marketing Association SmartBrief
39. Wooden Horse Magazine Media News
40. TheExcelAddict.com

What other industry websites and newsletters do you read frequently?

Broadcast media buyers and planners use SQAD data for media cost forecasting, specifically to find out what a CPP should be in the upcoming quarter, by market, by daypart.

Cost per Rating Point (CPP) is a metric used to determine the cost of buying ad space to reach 1% of their target audience. It allows media buyers and planners to compare the costs of advertising on different media outlets to determine the most efficient and cost-effective placements.

Here’s where broadcast planners can find this updated information in Kantar Media SRDS:

SQAD Spot Radio Cost-Per-Point Estimates by MSA

Go to the Radio Media database and on the welcome page, click on the SQAD Spot Radio Cost-per-Point Estimates link.  It will pull up a list of PDFs with SQAD data by metro market. The radio CPP data is only available to subscribers of the Radio database.

TV Households Cost-Per-Point Levels by DMA

Go to the TV & Cable Media database and on the welcome page, click on the DMA Maps and Profiles link. It will pull up a list of PDFs with SQAD data by DMA. This data is only available to subscribers of the TV & Cable database.

If you’re interested in accessing the Radio or TV/Cable databases, let us know.

It’s no wonder why the Super Bowl and Academy Awards take place during the winter. Audiences are more likely to enjoy the comforts of their own homes while temperatures drop, and are more apt to turn on TV. Consequently, advertising during these highest-profile programs is a must for big names looking to reach millions of Americans.

Kantar Media has released a report containing historical advertising data for the Oscars, showcasing ad pricing trends, top marketers and other insights. Last month, they released something similar for the Super Bowl.

Here are three takeaways from the new report:

1. The Cost of Oscar Advertising: The average cost of a 30-second spot—$1.7 million in 2013—increased slightly during the past few years but has not exceeded the peak levels from 2006-08.
2. Oscar Spending By Top Advertisers: In 2012, almost half of total ad revenue came from four companies:

3. First Time Oscar Advertisers: Last year, 29% of advertising made their Academy Awards debuts, including Google and Hulu.

Check out the full insights report now.

This week, I had the opportunity to host another Media Mixology event in NYC, bringing together the SRDS community of media buyers and sellers. We networked, enjoyed some hospitality and heard a few insights from industry professionals, Mary Poscik of G2, Kevin Moeller of Media Behavior Institute and Ki Mae Heussner of GigaOm.

This event was actually a make-good because we had to postpone it from November in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. But despite the rescheduling, more than 100 professionals showed.

The discussion centered on the challenges agencies face when integrating emerging media into our clients’ plans, and how agency professionals can be better partners for their clients.

In prepping for the discussion, I was struck by the number of big headlines that have occurred in our industry in the last three months since we postponed. It made me appreciate even more the challenge agencies and marketers face as they try to stay ahead of the consumer’s ever-changing habits.

Across the media research, advertising and technology landscape there have been a number of big headlines:

• In Media Research: Consolidation of audience media measurement firms continues, as Nielsen announced its plans to buy Arbitron and the industry weighs the benefits of single source providers.
• In Technology: The mobile wars continued to escalate with Apple introducing a new iPhone and a mini tablet, Microsoft releasing Surface Pro, Samsung gaining traction with Galaxy, and now RIM is seriously pursuing a comeback with its latest (and strongly reviewed) Blackberry.
• In Digital Media: Facebook has introduced a whole new media: social search. Now there is speculation that they will acquire Atlas ad server technology from Microsoft to help super-size their display ad business.
• And in TV: This time of year, the entire ad industry is watching new campaigns break on the big screen for major events like Golden Globes, the Super Bowl, the Grammys and the Oscars. But how many of us have already seen these ads on the smaller screen? That’s why we also have to watch social media, especially the Twitterverse for analysis and ROI insights. And so not surprisingly, Twitter announces the acquisition of Social TV researcher Blue Fin Labs.

And that’s just the big stuff.

Through all of this, marketers don’t just expect their agency partners to stay on top of news coverage and understand the changing players as well as their new line-up of offerings. No, what marketers really need is help in understanding how their audiences are adopting and using these new technologies and how their behavior is being measured. They are anxiously relying on us to advise them how to participate in this new environment, while still doing our day jobs.

It’s a major opportunity and a reason why we love being part of our dynamic media industry. It’s how each of us keeps learning – and pushing our clients to try new things. And it’s why we all want to come together at these events, share ideas on what’s working, or not, and blow off a little steam.

Thanks to our speakers, Mary, Kevin and Ki Mae. Thanks to our sponsors for making the event possible. Thanks for spending some time talking with me and the SRDS team about your new challenges. Thanks for giving me a reason to stop and reflect on what’s happening so quickly. It’s why we love media.

Each and every day, our data team makes hundreds of updates to the media planning data on SRDS.com. They’ve already started 2013 on a high note.

Our data team made 7,686  updates to our SRDS databases. Here's the breakdown:

• 1,750  newspaper updates
• 332 out-of-home updates
• 275 TV & cable updates
• 1,227 radio updates
• 1,263 digital updates
• 1,673 business publications updates
• 1,166 consumer magazine updates

We know that current data matters, so take a moment to log in and check out some of the changes!

While I wouldn’t say that any of this year’s Super Bowl commercials topped the action-packed game and larger-than-life performers, but there were four memorable ads.

Perhaps not as memorable as the black-out though. You can bet that had advertisers worried, but interestingly, many of them capitalized on the strange event with comic social media posts, like these:

But here are the top commercials from this year’s big game:

1. Budweiser: Brotherhood – Most commercials are all about silliness or clever quips, but Budweiser did a fantastic job with this moving take on their classic Clydesdales. It’s beautiful story-telling, without any words.
2. Doritos: Goat 4 sale – I have relatives in Greece that have pet goats, so for me, this ad really hit home. Doritos consistently comes out with funny Super Bowl ads and this one does not disappoint. And most of us can appreciate that these are consumer-created ads, with a prize. Even though it’s not a consistent campaign, ‘funny and offbeat’ comes out loud and clear as the brand message.
3. M&Ms: Love Ballad – This spot came early, and for a while, it was one of the best. Poor old red M&M just wants some lovin’, but he quickly realizes there are certain things that even he won’t do for some TLC.
4. Best Buy: Asking Amy – Just because it’s Amy Poehler, this one makes my list. The actress is a bit over-zealous in her question asking, but this Best Buy salesperson is ready for anything.

What was your favorite spot from this year’s Super Bowl?

You might remember that in December we shared Kantar Media SRDS employees’ favorite holiday TV commercials. Now that the Super Bowl, one of the biggest advertising days of the year, is approaching, we thought it would be fun to share our all-time favorite commercials that first aired during The Big Game.

1. Budweiser Clydesdales Tribute
2. Apple 1984
3. Coca-Cola Mean Joe Green
4. Wassup
5. Volkswagen Darth Vader
6. Old Spice Guy
7. Nothing But Net
8. Budweiser Frogs
9. Budweiser Clydesdales Rocky
10. Snickers Betty White
11. Reebok Terry Tate
12. Careerbuilder.com Parking Lot
13. Coca Cola It’s Mine
14. Google Parisian Love
15. Budweiser Frogs

We hope you enjoy these ads, and make sure to share your favorites in the comments!

Happy New Year, my friends.

You may remember that last year AMC launched “The Pitch,” a reality show with advertising agencies competing against each other for new business. Despite below average ratings and criticism from critics—as well as those in the ad industry—AMC renewed the series for a second season.

According to Ad Age, “The Pitch” brought in an average of 303,000 viewers per episodes, compared to “Comic Book Men,” a reality show set in Kevin Smith's comic-book shop, which averaged 1.5 million viewers for its first-run episodes. Not too impressive, huh?

Our own Ginny Ewing reviewed the first episode of the Pitch, but the broader world beyond agency and media buffs did not connect with the series as much as AMC execs would have hoped. I bring this up because there is another reality show set to premier with a media component and I wonder if it will also have the challenge of finding an audience.

CBS will launch “The Job,” a new reality game show on February 8 at 8 p.m, according to Fishbowl NY. In each episode, five contestants will compete for a position at a prominent company.

Five out of eight of these positions will be at media companies. Most notably, the second episode will feature five young people vying to become an editorial assistant at Cosmopolitan magazine. Even though the grand prize is the featured job at Cosmo, judges that work for other, related companies can offer contestants a job as well, forcing the competitor to decide whether to take that new job, or continue to compete for the original top job.

As the season goes on, other media companies offering grand prize positions will be:

1. Major League Soccer – The top U.S. professional soccer league.
2. Zynga – A provider of social game services, including “FarmVille” and “Words With Friends.”
3. Gilt – An online shopping site with more than 7 million members.
4. Epic Records - An American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment, and headed by executive L.A. Reid.

Here's my point of view:

“The Job” isn’t as niche as “The Pitch,” which limited itself in terms of audience, so it may be able to bring in higher ratings. Because it doesn’t just target media junkies, it may appeal to a wider population. And above, "The Job" will air in the time period of "Undercover Boss," CBS’s other work-related reality show, which may be its saving grace.

I’d like to know what you think out there, folks.

Please share your thoughts on “The Job” below. Would you be interested in appearing on this show? Will you watch it?

(Image Source)

It’s arguably the biggest advertising day of the year and in the last decade, marketers and advertisers spent nearly $2 billion for spots in the Super Bowl, according to data from Kantar Media.

This year, a 30-second spot went for $3.5 million on average compared to $2.15 million in 2003.

The top five Super Bowl advertisers in the past ten years shouldn’t come as any surprise. Not only are they big spenders but you probably remember at least one of their commercials:

Click over to Kantar Media for an extensive run-through of historical advertising data showcasing the Super Bowl’s top ad categories, rising ad rates, competitive clutter and first-time advertiser information.

And make sure to return to our blog next week as we share SRDS employees’ favorite Super Bowl commercials.

Did you hear what happened to the Aflac duck? He’s been in the hospital for about a week with injuries to his beak and wing, but it looks like this bird is going to pull through.

Aflac hasn’t gone into details about how the mysterious accident happened, but the supplemental insurance provider did announce the Duck’s hospitalization via a commercial first aired during the BCS National Championship game on January 7.

When I first saw the ad, I wasn’t sure what to think of it. But now that it’s been about a week, I’ve decided that not only does this promo make sense, it also worked extremely well. Maybe not in the traditional sense – the campaign I launched increased sales for the company by x% – but it does succeed as an interesting, positive and creative way to engage younger prospects with the Aflac brand.

This campaign went beyond TV ads with mobile banners and mobile search. Consumers could send the Aflac Duck get-well e-cards and receive updates on the bird’s condition through social media.

Jon Sullivan, Aflac Corporate Communications Manager, told ClickZ:

“We want to engage consumers with our brand in a lighthearted way that will help us deliver a serious message about the value of Aflac."

Though this is early in 2013, I think this may be one of the top imaginative integrations of advertising and social media that we’ll see all year, since most importantly, the campaign netted concrete results.

Sullivan told ClickZ that the Aflac Duck Facebook page has seen an increase of over 1,100 likes since the campaign launched and that in the first two and a half days of the promotion, the Duck received more than 4,050 cards. That’s pretty good awareness and engagement in my book.

Here’s a screenshot of the Facebook page, filled with well-wishes, the ability to create a card and even a funny (yet “inspirational”) video posted by the Aflac Duck of a pig being able to walk down the stairs.

Though the Aflac Duck isn’t back on its feet yet, I have to say, job well done, Duck, job well done.

Per Ad Age, 30-second spots in this year’s Super Bowl sold for around $3.7 million - yep, they're already sold out. For any marketer buying one of these spots, this is likely the largest single advertising investment all year. Recouping this kind of investment takes a massive lift in sales and/or customer acquisition activity—a lift most companies won't see. This is why, for most advertisers, it’s an easy decision to stay away from the big game. How then, does any advertiser decide it’s a good idea to spend this kind of money?

It starts with the understanding that any marketer buying a spot in the Super Bowl won’t see a direct equal return on the money spent—not right away anyway. Buying a spot in the Super Bowl is more about being culturally relevant. There are still no other events where an advertiser can present a brand message to an American audience upwards of 100 million people all at one time. 

And boy, do we like those brand messages. We tweet, like, share, vote on, upload, blog and discuss in person what we’ve seen. The Super Bowl is also one of the few events where there’s analysis of the game and the advertising in the newspapers the day after.  You don’t see columns in the Chicago Tribune about who won and lost the advertising race on the last episode of Grey’s Anatomy. 

Astute marketers can take their participation in the game and use social media as a force multiplier to generate buzz and excitement around their message both before and after the game. Creating contests, leaking additional video content and tweeting out questions around the ads are just some of the ways advertisers create this buzz.

Sometimes the marketers don’t have to do anything. Just this week I went looking for classic Super Bowl ads via branded channels on YouTube. These ad views will register with the marketers long after the ads have run in real time. 

Advertisers/Marketers: Do you think advertising in the Super Bowl is worth the cost?

Total advertising expenditures in the third quarter of 2012 surged by 7.1% reaching $34.5 billion, according to data released by Kantar Media. Political ads and the Summer Olympics led the market, with TV being the medium of choice.

Network TV expenditures increased 29.9% in the quarter. Other gains in the industry include radio (4.2%), free-standing inserts (17.3%) and outdoor advertising (4.9%). Click here for more details or check out this nifty infographic.

Here at Kantar Media SRDS, it’s no secret that we love media. You could even say that we're obsessed. Since 1919, our very existence has revolved around the media and advertising industry, spanning print, radio, TV and of course digital.

To help spread some holiday (and media!) cheer this season, we polled our employees, asking them to send in links to their all-time favorite holiday commercials. They responded and we’ve got well over a dozen ads to share with you. Some are classics, others are newbies, many are hilarious, others are sentimental, and most importantly, they’re all memorable.

View our full YouTube playlist here, or pick and choose from the list below.

1. 1993 Coca-Cola Polar Bear Commercial
2. M&Ms (he is real!)
3. Hershey’s Kisses Play a Song
4. Campbell’s Snowman
5. Budweiser Clydesdale Snowball Fight
6. Norelco Christmas 1986
7. GameStop 2010
8. Budweiser Clydesdale Kiss
9. Folger's Coffee Peter Comes Home For Christmas
10. Kay: Baby's First Christmas
11. Santa Chevy TV ad - St. Nick's Beard
12. Crazy Target Lady Montage
13. eBay Holiday Pony
14. Gap Holiday Dance Ad
15. Chevy Santa Casual Friday
16. T-Mobile Home for the Holidays Surprise
17. Coca-Cola Polar Bears 2012
18. Mercedes Benz 2012

Did we miss any? Share your favorite holiday commercials in the comments section or tweet us @SRDS!

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Of the more than 4,100 brands advertising on national TV and leading online video sites in October, 23% used online video, 12% used both media and 11% advertised only on online video, according to insights from Kantar Media Intelligence. The overwhelming majority of brands (77%) continue to use national TV advertising exclusively.

The restaurant and automotive industries were the most likely to use both national TV and online video ads, while Internet communications and content companies (as well as resort and travel companies) were the most likely to use online video advertising exclusively.

This data comes from the newly-launched Kantar Media Online Video Measurement service, an online video ad tracking service that is the industry’s first to monitor actual occurrences and creative for video ads appearing on more than 90 top online video sites.

Key takeaway: This service is essential for marketers looking to monitor competitive activities within online video advertising as well as media companies looking to determine which industries and brands are top users of online video advertising.

Find out more information about Kantar Media’s Online Video Measurement service here.

Full disclosure: Kantar Media Intelligence, like SRDS, is part of Kantar Media.