Rollout Plans for Smart Cell Phone System

Audience measurement partners Ipsos and The Media Audit have announced the market rollout plan for their Smart Cell Phone system. If the method is selected by the radio industry, a full market test in Houston would be followed by launches in New York, LA and Chicago, with plans to roll out 12 markets in 2007.

Media Audit President Bob Jordan says the first markets to be surveyed using its Smart Cell Phone will be America's largest DMAs (Designated Market Areas). 'The Houston technical and market tests are well underway. These tests are the lead-up to the full market test. With broadcaster support, we will start recruiting sample for the full market test in the fall with results expected sometime this winter.'

Jim Higginbotham, Head of Research and Chairman of The Media Audit, says starting with the largest markets is an interesting challenge given their size, cultural complexity and importance. 'We understand the inherent challenges and are confident as we have a major advantage... the expertise of our partner Ipsos which already manages a panel of more than 400,000 respondents. Ipsos has the personnel, the systems, the expertise and experience in place to quickly swing into action and recruit the panels.'

Jordan says the hardware is another major advantage. 'The Media Audit/Ipsos Smart Cell Phone is the hardware. The technology is a software solution that is housed in the Smart Cell Phone. This means we don't have to take into consideration any hardware production. All of the hardware is standardized, from the Smart Cell Phones to the servers at the radio stations. We don't have to stock up. Everything is ready to go, which will enable us to move quickly.'

The Media Audit, online at www.themediaaudit.com , is a multi-media and marketing survey conducted in 85 cities across the US and is a syndicated service of International Demographics. IPSOS is the world's fifth largest research company with revenues of $1.1 billion and is online at www.ipsos.com . Its European division holds UK contracts for radio measurement and TV diary measurement, and it recently introduced its BRS (Businessman's Readership Study) to the US market.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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