Arbitron Reveals 'Project Leapfrog' Goals

In the US, radio ratings giant Arbitron has revealed further details of its 'Project Leapfrog' approach, which will replace its existing seven-day paper-based diary service with a web and mobile-based data collection system.

Project Leapfrog is described as an 'experimental approach' to measuring midsized and diary markets. SVP of Marketing Bill Rose says the goals of the project are to elicit higher sample sizes, improve representation of the market's full population, appeal to younger adults through web/mobile data collection, and target a 100% address-based sample to include cell phone-only households.

The service uses a week-long web and mobile survey as the primary means of collecting data, although users who don't have Internet access will still be able to complete a diary study.

It was first piloted in June 2010, and the test resulted in a higher number of 18-34s in the registered sample, as well as a lower proportion of 55+ respondents, according to VP of Diary and National Product Measurement Brad Feldhaus.

A small-scale 'pre-test' trial was undertaken this April, and based on the findings Arbitron is now launching a large-scale field test later this month.

During the next phase of the program, the firm will test a variety of methods for packaging and mailing the materials, analyze whether it is better only to pay incentives at the end of the one-week survey, and identify whether using automated phone alerts increases participation.

Since the last phase of the project, the web and mobile interfaces have been redesigned to enable data to be carried over to a mobile phone app.

Feldhaus said that while initial test results are 'encouraging', the firm is not yet able to provide an official launch date.

Web site: www.arbitron.com .