Media Agencies, Networks Catch Their Internet Buzz

Web-based buzz-measurement services are themselves getting some buzz from media agencies and the broadcast networks after their research foretold that several new fall shows, labeled sure failures by the agencies prior to the start of the season, have proven to be just the opposite in the eyes of viewers.Shows like CBS' Ghost Whisperer, ABC's Freddie and Fox's Bones, among others, all panned by media agencies following the May upfront, are now producing solid 18-49 ratings, and all have been picked up for the entire season. "I'm impressed with the accuracy so far," said Kris Magel, svp and account manager at Zenith Media, of the buzz-measurement services. "It has proven that what we thought intuitively about many of the new shows was wrong."Dave Poltrack, evp of research and planning at CBS, said his network has begun using the services as an adjunct to its own online viewer entertainment panel. But Poltrack said using the buzz-measurement services, which can surreptitiously monitor millions of persons in online chat rooms and custom-sort the data, is more cost-efficient than if a network were to do similar surveys on an ongoing basis.In addition to predicting whether a new show has enough buzz among viewers to get solid initial tune-in, Poltrack said this type of monitoring can give the nets an indication of why a show may not be getting stronger ratings and why certain characters or storylines are liked or disliked. The technology used by these companies—BuzzMetrics, owned by Adweek parent VNU, and Brandimensions, among them—was initially developed for use by the government to monitor terrorists on the Internet via keywords, after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.In addition to giving the network programmers insight, these services can also help the networks market their shows better. Mike Benson, svp of marketing for ABC, said his network originally was promoting freshman sitcom Freddie as a show in which a single twentysomething guy is forced to deal with henpecking by his female relatives. But after contracting with one of the buzz-measurement services, which Benson declined to name, ABC found that viewers were watching the show more because of star Freddie Prinze Jr.'s interaction with his friend, played by Brian Austin Green. "We found it was more of a buddy show," Benson said, and the network started promoting it as such. Ratings for the show in the key 18-49 demo have been solidly in the 3.5 range. "Nielsen can give us a representative slice of audience information, but [buzz monitoring] can give us another slice that can help us understand our audience better as far as what they specifically like or don't like about a show," said Benson.Not every network is sold on buzz measurement. Interestingly, Fox, whose new drama Prison Break was projected in pre-season buzz reports to be a hit, does not use any of the services. "We don't use them, and we have no comment," said Fox spokesman Scott Grogin.Alan Wurtzel, president of research and media development at NBC, said he has mixed opinions on the reliability of buzz data. "It is another interesting way to look at viewer opinion, and we are going to be speaking with these companies about doing business with them, but my concern is whether or not what they monitor can be manipulated," he said. But Tim Spengler, evp and director of national broadcast at Initiative, whose media agency has been using its own buzz measurement, PropheSee, for two years, said, "We've found it to be another, more sophisticated way to gain an understanding of the consumer and pass that along to our clients."

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Media Agencies, Networks Catch Their Internet Buzz

John Consoli

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John Consoli