The study is beginning to measure and track the “water cooler” effect of social media as an important vehicle to promote television shows and brands.  According to the study, 19% of TV viewers with Internet access have started watching a show because they heard about it through social media or the blogosphere, increasing to 23% among 18-34 year-old viewers.  And, one in ten (10%) have posted on social media about a show or movie they saw—13% among the 18-34 set. Among these younger viewers, 8% at least occasionally interact about a show on social media in real time, at the same time as they are watching the show (see chart).

“The potential power of social media to drive TV viewership—and perhaps even to drive consumers back to live, real-time viewing—is enormous,” notes Adriana Waterston, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Horowitz Associates.  “But media brands and marketers will need to figure out how to do it right.  As we heard in our recent Viewing the Viewer videography, consumers don’t want to feel ‘marketed to’—they want to feel in control of their social media experience,” adds Waterston.

Now in its 19th year, State of Cable and Digital Media is an annual, syndicated survey of television households published by Horowitz Associates Market and Multicultural Research.  The study tracks key trends in consumer behaviors towards and adoption of new television, broadband, and mobile technologies.  National and Multicultural Editions are available for purchase.  Contact Adriana Waterston (adrianaw@horowitzassociates.com, 914-834-5999) for information.

Let’s Talk About…

ALTERNATIVE PLATFORMS

This month, we asked participants to tell us about their relationship to and usage of alternative platforms, and how they are impacting their viewing of TV content.

Here’s what they had to say:

About 20-25% of participants specifically say that having content available through alternative platforms is extremely important to them.  Some even make a point to not watch new shows if they know they cannot catch up on alternative platforms or time-shifted viewing.

“It is important to me that shows are available on alternative platforms. I do try NOT to get into shows I can’t watch elsewhere in case I miss an episode. I tend to use Hulu to watch network shows if I happen to miss an episode. I use DVDs and Netflix to watch shows I couldn’t watch elsewhere (i.e., BBC shows, old shows).” – 25-34 year-old White Female

10-15% of participants use alternative platforms on-the-go.  The content they seek out on-the-go reflects the same content they seek out at home.

“The same shows I watch at home on my TV are the same ones I watch on my devices. I enjoy the convenience of being able to watch them whenever and wherever.” – 25-34 year-old Black Female

About one-fifth of respondents say alternative platforms have widened the variety of television content they watch.

“The variety and shows has gotten wider, I’m not restricted to only the programming that my cable gives me. If I want to watch a show that is only available in another country, by using the Internet I can see that content. It’s not that I watch more of a certain network, but now I have time to watch shows I wouldn’t have been able to see due to time.” – 25-34 year-old Hispanic Male

Last Thoughts

What emerges from our Consumer Voice Community is a totally nuanced conversation about the impact of alternative TV platforms on TV viewing (expanded times and places), and on choice of content (expanded choice, control and globalization).  The conversation reveals what is already a profound impact on the way young multiculturals, i.e., young Americans, consume and literally “occupy” media.  It is clear from the conversation that the era of a new and expansive role for television and video is already in full swing.

- Howard Horowitz
President, Horowitz Associates, Inc.

For more information about the Consumer Voice Community, including how to submit your own topic, please visit: www.horowitzassociates.com/newsletter/consumervoice

The Consumer Voice Community is a young, multicultural online community consisting of over 200 participants.

In order to qualify for the community, participants needed to:

- Be between the ages of 18-34;
- Have multichannel service or watch TV content on alternative platforms at least weekly.

The community was recruited to be approximately 25% White, 25% Black, 25% Hispanic, and 25% Asian.  All questions and communications are posted in English only.  Where appropriate, survey data are weighted to ensure representation.

Participants were incentivized per activity and were not required to complete every activity.  As a result, base sizes differ from topic to topic.

Submitting a Topic

The Consumer Voice Community can be a resource for you!  Have a topic you’d like to see in the next Media Chat?  Or, have a proprietary topic you’d like to submit?

Contact Stephanie (stephaniew@horowitzassociates.com) or Adriana (adrianaw@horowitzassociates.com) for details and pricing (open topics will typically be free of charge; proprietary questions and reporting will be on a case by case basis)!

Adriana Waterston, VP of Marketing and Business Development at research company Horowitz Associates, set the tone of the event with a 360-degree view of multicultural consumers and their television, alternative platform, mobile, and social media behaviors.  Data from the quantitative tracking survey State of Cable and Digital Media: Multicultural; Viewing the Viewer, an in-home videography; and the Consumer Voice Community market research online community revealed that the urban multicultural market now define American culture and entertainment. Waterston discussed the impact of alternative platforms and social media on how viewers experience media today, noting that the personal, social, and business consequence of today’s media environment is the development of new communities of empowered viewers increasingly concerned about diversity and representation in mainstream media.  “Multicultural audiences and all audiences literally ‘Occupy Media’, commanding new-found control over viewing and over their cultural identities and connections,” Waterston said about the message in her data for programmers and service providers.

Manuel Abud, President of Telemundo Station Group, delivered a dynamic keynote about the broadcaster’s commitment to serving the Latino audience at the local, community level—not only through top-notch local reporting but through community involvement.  According to Abud, NBCUniversal’s recent merger with Comcast will mean substantial investments in Telemundo’s owned and operated local stations, allowing them to expand even further on its local offerings.

The event featured three panels, including one with many U.S. multichannel distributors represented.  Rubén Mendiola, the recently-appointed VP & General Manager of Multicultural Video Services for Comcast, Charter’s David Saldarriaga, and Verizon FiOS’ Michelle Webb discussed the challenges of managing bandwidth while striving to ensure diversity in programming offerings.  Mendiola explained that whether a network can commit to post-launch consumer marketing will play a key role in carriage decisions.  The panel also included three multicultural programmers: Magic Johnson’s new network Aspire; Blue Ocean Network, with programming in English from and about China; and Zee TV, offering South Asian content.  A second panel featuring major networks Viacom Media Networks and ESPN, and major advertisers AARP and Cricket Communications touched upon ongoing and forecasted structural change including staff consolidation and integration at their companies, their agencies and their media to meet the reality of an integrated multicultural market place. A programming showcase featured content from Ella, Blue Ocean Network, ESPN, Imagina US, mun2, Telemundo, TV One, TV5MONDE, and Zee TV, among others.

The annual Forum is organized by Horowitz Associates Market and Multicultural Research. For information, contact Stephanie Wong: 914-834-5999 (stephaniew@horowitzassociates.com) or visit www.multiculturalmediaforum.com

This year’s theme is The Power Of Community: examining the role of media, technology, and marketing in unleashing the power of different types of communities—ethnic, virtual, local, global.

Here are 7 great reasons to attend:

1. Learn how to reach the new “general market:” The Forum’s underlying premise is that America’s “general market” is multicultural.  As such, diversity initiatives are more than a social mission; they are a business prerogative and a competitive advantage.  Three panels of top media, marketing, advertising, and branding executives from Comcast, Viacom Media Networks, ESPN, Ogilvy & Mather, d expósito & Partners, Verizon FiOS, Charter Communications, Cricket Communications, GMC TV/Aspire, Blue Ocean Network, MGM Latino, ZeeTV, the AARP, and NYC’s Latin Media and Entertainment Commission, among others, will discuss how to implement a “total market approach” as well as targeted multicultural campaigns in an increasingly competitive and multiplatform media environment.

1. Get brand-new data on multicultural audiences and TV, broadband, mobile and “over the top” (OTT) platforms: Adriana Waterston, Horowitz Associates’ VP of Marketing and Business Development will present new data on traditional and new media platforms in multicultural households, plus qualitative insights from in-home videographies and an Online Research Community!
2. Hear Telemundo Station Group President Manuel Abud discuss the network’s commitment to the development of compelling content not only at the national, but at the local level— a strategy that both empowers Latino communities and strengthens Telemundo’s ties at the community level.
3. See the Programming Showcase where networks show off new, innovative programming for America’s diverse audiences!
4. Meet, Greet, and Network: A great venue to mingle with key executives from the pay TV industry, programmers, advertisers, and agencies, this year’s agenda was extended by popular demand to include lunch!
5. Special musical performance by Sony Music Latin Artist Beatriz Luengo!
6. One lucky attendee will win a trip to Paris, courtesy of TV5 Monde!

Luengo’s performance at the Multicultural Media Forum is presented by Sony Pictures Television Networks. The New York Times hailed the Latin artist’s recently released album Bela y Sus Moskitas Muertas as “a whimsical and sensual mix of soft reggae-minded rock.” The album’s first single Como Tú No Hay 2 reached the top of radio charts in the US, Spain, and Argentina.

The Multicultural Media Forum has been a marquee event on the media industry calendar for 12 years. It is a research and strategy-driven event where thought leaders from major media brands, advertising agencies and the research community share actionable insights about multicultural programming, marketing, distribution and advertising. The Forum attracts an audience of over 300 media and advertising industry executives and the press.

The Forum is a venue for leading research firm Horowitz Associates to release their latest research insights on Hispanic and multicultural consumers. This year’s presentation will include quantitative data from the just-released 2012 State of Cable and Digital Media Multicultural study, enriched by qualitative insights from Viewing the Viewer, a new in-home videography study, and an 8-week online research community of multicultural consumers. For more about the research, visit:www.multiculturalmediaforum.com/presentation.

In addition to the research presentation, the day’s agenda includes a keynote address from Manuel Abud, President of Telemundo Station Group; the Programming Showcase, presented by Melvin Perez, President of MGM Networks Latin America LLC; and three panels of top executives from Comcast, Charter Communications, Verizon FiOS, ESPN, Viacom Media Networks, Blue Ocean Network, Asia TV, the AARP, Cricket Communications, and Fearless Multicultural, among others. Just added to the agenda is a panel of top advertising agency strategy and creative executives moderated by Liz Sarachek Blacker, Chief Revenue Officer for Terra USA. To close out the day, TV5MONDE will raffle off a trip for 2 to Paris for attendees. View the full agenda at www.multiculturalmediaforum.com .

Seating is limited and the event promises to sell out. Pre-registration is strongly recommended. To register or for information, visit: www.multiculturalmediaforum.com or contact Stephanie Wong, (914) 834-5999, stephaniew@horowitzassociates.com.

The Forum’s theme this year is “The Power of Community”: how the concept of community impacts programming, marketing, and advertising geared toward America’s new multicultural audiences—the new “general market.”

Veteran Telemundo exec Abud will discuss the network’s commitment to developing compelling content not only at the national, but also at the local level—a strategy that simultaneously empowers Latino communities and strengthens Telemundo’s ties at the community level.

Other confirmed speakers include Tim Boell, Group Head of Distribution, Asia TV USA; Jorge Consuegra, Principal of Fearless Multicultural; Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, EVP, Multicultural Markets & Engagement, AARP; Todd Cunningham, SVP, Strategic Insights and Research, Viacom Media Networks; Ed Gordon, Senior Director, Distribution and Audience Research, ESPN; Dr. Justin Ku, Co-Founder & Chairman, Blue Ocean Network; Rubén Mendiola, the recently-appointed VP & General Manager of Multicultural Video Services for Comcast; Melvin Perez, President of MGM Networks Latin America; David Saldarriaga, Director, Marketing & Sales, Charter; Jaime Vasquez, VP, Consumer Marketing, Cricket Communications; and Michelle Webb, Executive Director, Content Acquisition & Programming, Verizon FiOS.

Adriana Waterston, VP, Marketing and Business Development at Horowitz Associates, Inc. will present findings from three studies including the brand-new Viewing the Viewer: A Videography of TV Households.  The study reveals shifts in media consumption as traditional TVs get bigger and smarter, while alternative and mobile platforms provide expanded opportunities to watch and interact with content.  Two key segments of viewers emerge—“Curators” and “Spectators.”

“Spectators are traditionalists,” explains Waterston.  “They still enjoy the ‘lean-back’ TV experience.  They may have shows that are favorites, but will often just watch whatever is on.  Despite the hype about cord-cutting, there are still many spectators out there.

“Curators curate their own personalized TV experience using the DVR, VOD, and new alternative platforms.  Because their favorite content is always available, they can filter out what’s less desirable.  This, in turn, makes curators more invested than ever in their favorite television brands.”

For more about the research, visit: www.multiculturalmediaforum.com/presentation.

To register or for information, visit: www.multiculturalmediaforum.com or contact Stephanie Wong, (914) 834-5999, stephaniew@horowitzassociates.com.   Through February 24, the early bird registration rate is $249.

For over 10 years, the Forum has attracted an audience of about 300 executives in television programming and distribution, marketing and advertising, and technology, as well as advertisers and the trade press. Among the confirmed panelists are Barry Blyn, Vice President of Consumer Insights at ESPN and Rubén Mendiola, the recently-appointed VP & General Manager of Multicultural Video Services for Comcast. Melvin Perez, President of MGM Networks Latin America, will showcase Ella, the new Spanish-language network targeting U.S. Latinas with lifestyle and entertainment programming. Veteran marketer Jorge Consuegra, Principal of Fearless Multicultural, will moderate one of the morning’s two panels.

Adriana Waterston, Vice President, Marketing & Business Development at Horowitz Associates, will present findings from three Horowitz studies to give attendees a comprehensive, 360° view of multicultural, multiplatform consumers: Viewing the Viewer, an in-home videography of multicultural households; State of Cable and Digital Media: Multicultural Edition, a quantitative survey of multicultural consumers across America; and the Consumer Voice Community, an 8-week online research community focused on the media lifestyles of America’s multicultural consumers and how they are adopting to a rapidly changing media world.

“Today, it’s crucial to have your finger on the pulse of what consumers have and what they do with their media tools,” notes Waterston. “The survey data will give our audience the hard numbers. Qualitative insights from the online research community and in-home videographies will provide context, bringing these data to life.”

LARCHMONT, N.Y., Oct. 27, 2011 — Horowitz Associates’ Multiplatform Content & Services 2011 study finds that over half (54%) of broadband Internet users watch TV content streamed or on an alternative platform weekly. Non-traditional viewing now accounts for 10.8 hours a month, or 7% of total viewing time, with 149.4 hours still dedicated to traditional TV.

Compared to the average broadband Internet user, 18-34 year-olds spend substantially more time with TV content across all platforms. Incidence of non-traditional TV viewing is higher among young adult broadband Internet users, with three-quarters (74%) of 18-34 year-olds doing so weekly— accounting for 10% of their total viewing time. Broadband users 18-34 who watch on non-traditional platforms also spend more time with traditional TV, reporting an average of 167.7 monthly viewing hours—18+ hours more than average.

Cross-Platform Brand Equity:
On non-traditional platforms, YouTube remains the most popular destination for most video. Study findings suggest, however, that TV brands developing a strong online and mobile presence can translate their success to new platforms. For example, ESPN is the most frequently mentioned destination for sports on the PC/laptop and on mobile devices. CNN (closely followed by YouTube) is the main destination for news, as is HBO/HBO GO for those who view premium TV content.

As business and revenue models for non-traditional platforms evolve, the study suggests an increase in customers’ receptivity to online advertising. Among broadband Internet users, self-reported incidence of clicking on banner and pop up ads increased by 127% since last year.

“Our study has tracked the evolution of alternative TV since its inception,” notes Adriana Waterston, Horowitz’ Vice President of Marketing and Business Development. “While at the very margins non-traditional video platforms may erode traditional TV viewing, it is becoming increasingly clear that there will be a net gain for media brands, advertisers, and consumers. This will come hand in hand with a big shift in consumers’ viewing patterns and expectations about accessing, sharing, and otherwise controlling their TV viewing experience, not only on alternative platforms but on the traditional TV platform as well.”

About the study:
Multiplatform Content and Services 2011 is the 9th edition of an annual report based on an online survey of 1,046 broadband Internet users 15+. The report was published October, 2011. http://www.horowitzassociates.com/studies/multiplatform

CONTACT:
Adriana Waterston, Vice President, Marketing, Horowitz Associates, Inc.
914-834-5999
adrianaw@horowitzassociates.com

Plus, many of you have visited our Facebook page, but did you know you can also now follow us on Twitter! Follow @HorowitzAssoc for updates on our studies, interesting and important industry news, and information on our upcoming events and specials!

Horowitz Associates Pairs up with Ramius Corporation and the AMA for a Webinar: Real Research in a Virtual World: Best Practices for Integrating Online Communities into your Research Approach

Did you know that Horowitz Associates is on the cutting edge when it comes to designing and managing custom, online research communities?  It’s the hottest new methodology on the research circuit, and we have a lot of expertise in this area.  In fact, we’ve been offering custom online research communities for a few years now, and we were invited by the AMA (American Marketing Association) to team up with Ramius Corporation and the AMA’s own Leonard Murphy (of GreenBook and BrandScan360) to deliver a webinar on the topic.

Positioned somewhere between a “typical” online community and large online panels, an online research community is a unique approach to research.  On the webinar, Adriana and Stephanie discuss some of the key benefits, considerations for choosing a platform provider, best practices for design and management of an online community, and why you should consider partnering with a market research provider for your next online community.  You can listen to the entire presentation, download the slide deck, and see answers to some of the questions that came up during the presentation at: http://webinars.sixent.com/research2011

We’d love to discuss how an online research community can work for you.  Give us a call or make sure we’re on the list for your next RFP!

Horowitz Associates is a certified partner of online panel provider Vision Critical (www.visioncritical.com) and online research community provider Ramius Corporation (www.ramius.net).

For the first time ever, Horowitz Associates is offering a syndicated videography.  We will be recruiting 30-40 homes to participate across at least 3 markets, and will be getting inside these real consumers’ homes to see and understand how today’s most pressing industry topics—ranging from alternative platform use to multicultural programming to cord-cutting—actually play out in their lives.  

For Premium subscribers of this study, we will include in-depth probes about your network, genre, and other particular areas of interest, and deliver custom reporting and video for you (in addition to the full report)—all for just a fraction of the cost of commissioning a custom videography.

Viewing the Viewer will bring to life our research and can serve as a complement to our 4 core studies and 4 focus reports, or as a stand-alone report.  To view a sample of our videographic work and learn more about the study, please visit: http://www.horowitzassociates.com/studies/viewing-the-viewer

If you want to be a part of this exciting, new research study, act now! We are going into the field in a few weeks, so to become a Premium Subscriber please subscribe right away.  Contact Adriana (adrianaw@horowitzassociates.com) or Howard (howardh@horowitzassociates.com) or call 914-834-5999 for more information.

Harnessing the Power of Community

March 21st, 2012

Marriott Marquis

8am – 1pm

These days, the word “community” has many different interpretations, each of them relevant to the business of Multicultural Media.  At the 2012 Forum, we will explore the topic of community from three perspectives:

From a programming and distribution perspective, Multicultural America is America, but America is made up of many communities.  What new opportunities for growth exist?  We will discuss how to continue to develop the Hispanic and African American markets, and explore emerging multicultural communities and interest groups that are currently underserved.

From a technology perspective, how is social media—driven by broadband and digital technologies—reshaping the concept and power of community- locally, nationally, and internationally?

And from a consumer perspective, what can we learn by engaging multicultural audiences in ongoing dialogue in the context of an online research community?  

We’re designing a custom online research community of multicultural consumers that will go live in the months prior to the forum.   Findings from this online community project will be shared exclusively at the Forum.  Best of all, paid registrants will have access to this online research community prior to the event, and you’ll get a chance to submit your most pressing topics and questions to be posed to the community members.

For more information about the conference, sponsorship opportunities, and how to register, please contact Stephanie (stephaniew@horowitzassociates.com) or Adriana (adrianaw@horowitzassociates.com) at 914-834-5999.

Save the Date: Wednesday, March 21st, 2012, New York City! 

We look forward to seeing you then!

Horowitz Associates, Inc. | 1971 Palmer Avenue | Larchmont, NY 10538 | info@horowitzassociates.com | 914.834.5999