Scarborough Debuts Cell-Phone-Only Sample

Arbitron and Nielsen joint venture Scarborough Research will be incorporating cell-phone-only (CPO) users into the sample for its syndicated local market studies, beginning this summer and due for release next spring.

Scarborough measures the lifestyle and shopping patterns, media behaviors and demographics of American consumers. It will now use an address-based sample to identify cell-phone-only populations, and this will be combined with the traditional landline phone sample currently used to collect data for its Top-Tier Local Market service.

The firm is utilizing this sample/CPO methodology in 10 local market studies initially, and plans to incorporate it into all its studies as well as into its USA+ national study.

Earlier in the year, Arbitron began cell-phone-only household sampling in an initial 151 diary markets for its Spring 2009 radio survey.

'We recognize the need to ensure those consumers who use their cell phone as their primary phone are included in our survey,' explained Steve Seraita, EVP of Sales. 'At Scarborough, we are focused on providing high-quality information that reflects today's consumer. The new CPO treatment ensures just that.'

Scarborough is online at www.scarborough.com .