Researching & Measuring Entertainment Audiences Chapter 8

Why we conduct research Finding out and describing - tracks a changing audience landscape Explaining - answer ‘why’ questions for predicting future trends Evaluating - judging success or failure

Branches of Empirical Research Theoretical data research - draws general conclusions about a phenomenon through deductive hypothesis testing Applied data research - inductive, interpretive model that explores and discovers audience-related issues

Descriptive Studies Observation and field-based Unstructured data collection Ethnographic approach Culture-orientation Emic perspective

Consumer Ethnography

Critical incident and trailer call techniques Critical incident (CIT) identifies ‘best practices’ and audience requirements on a periodic basis. Focus is on an incident, what led up to it and how it helped compete an interaction Trailer calls obtain immediate feedback on performance of a transaction on a continuous basis using a short list of questions.

Projective Techniques Information emerges from research TYPES: 1.Constitutive 2.Constructive 3.Interpretive 4.Cathartic 5.Refractive

Rorschach Test

Haire Study Good wife 1 1/2 lb. hamburger 2 loaves Wonder bread Bunch carrots Maxwell House coffee (drip ground) 2 cans Del Monte peaches 6 lbs. potatoes Lazy Wife 1 1/2 lb. hamburger 2 loaves Wonder bread Bunch carrots Nescafe instant coffee 2 cans Del Monte peaches 6 lbs. potatoes

Projective techniques for audience motivation research Word associations Symbolic associations Thematic apperception test (TAT) Object sorting

Rich description techniques 1.Free association 2.Choice ordering 3.Completion 4.Construction 5.Expressive

Free Association Brand-specific use personification techniques Photo sorting matches pictures with a brand Photo and tale collages

Completion Devices Sentence completion in first or third person Use in group interactions and individual interviews Easily developed and administered

Construction Techniques Story development from specific stimuli Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique collage development and respondent stories Cartoon bubble completion

Consumer Collage

Cartoon Bubble

Other techniques Role playing - generates consumer narratives from their acting out a situation Brand obituaries - tales help companies understand the brand and its perceived value

Evaluative Research Audience analysis by syndicated research companies Exposure ratings use both gross and cumulative measures such as GRP, CPP and CPM.

Advertising Research Measures who sees the ad Determines audience response to ads Evaluates effect of ad through sales data Nielsen Media Research tracks product placement ratings Podcast audience tallies

Q Factor Celebrities and stars are rated using the Q rating system where audiences grade using a 6-point scale In your opinion the performer is…. 1.One of my favorites 2.Very good 3.Good 4.Fair 5.Poor 6.Someone I’ve never heard or seen.

Analyzing qualitative research Sorting and categorization of interview text is used to identify emerging themes Top-of-mind preferences are used to answer the question ‘why’ Projective techniques yield patterns Triangulation uses multiple methods to authenticate the data collection and analysis

Internet Audience Research Chat groups Listservs Groupware Threaded discussions Guestbooks Surveymonkey.com

Protocols Templates for research guidelines Focus group questionnaire Survey components: introduction, completion instructions, questions using scaling techniques, demographic information.

Questions What is the best method for researching declining attendance at a local performance venue? How would you design data collection and analysis? What ethical issues are involved in gathering personal information from attendees or participants of events? How can they be overcome?