Helping Advertisers Walk the Diversity Talk

Support diverse communities. Increase representation of minorities. Invest in diverse-owned media. This is likely the thought process of advertisers and agencies that have made public commitments during the social justice movement of the past year. As the advertising industry looks to deliver on those commitments, that brings opportunity for the long tail of diverse-owned media that cater to communities of different ethnicities, sexual orientation, various diaspora and all intersectionalities in between. With the market for diverse-owned ad time hotter than ever, how can diverse media owners increase their visibility with advertisers and agencies?

Ads are bought and sold in programs on TV, radio and digital platforms, based on Nielsen ratings. The higher the rating, the higher the reach—or the greater the audience—for that content, and also the cost of an ad placement. 

With billions of advertising dollars at stake, it’s important that the industry has reliable metrics. Nielsen’s unique mix of people-powered measurement and big data sets us apart and provides our clients a deeper understanding about what their audiences are actually watching—when, where and how often. You may have heard of Nielsen families. They are actual people who make up our panels. These people give us access to install meters in their homes and other wearable devices so we can measure their media habits.

Our panels ensure:

• Detailed Measurement of Each Person
  Nielsen is the only measurement company that provides, persons-level, demographic ratings. Nielsen panels and advanced meter technology are designed to ensure viewability of TV ads and content are properly reflected. 
• Representative of Everyone
  We are always fortifying and enhancing our panels to ensure that they remain as representative as possible of changing populations and that they represent audiences by age, gender, race and ethnicity in national and local markets. Our technology captures all viewing, of everyone in the home, on all devices.
• Complete and Connected Audience Insights
  Because we measure each person and all devices in the home, we can provide a comprehensive view of consumers’ media behavior—across cable, satellite, over-the-air, pay TV, over-the-top (e.g., Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV), streaming services. We also measure media consumption through wearable devices.

Learn more in Ratings Academy about how Nielsen measures programs and their ad value.

How do you know what your channel or audience is worth to an advertiser? Nielsen helps you measure who is tuning into your program. Here’s how:

The combination of who’s watching your programs, when and for how long determines the ratings and the value of your audience.

Once you know the value of your audience, the next step is to show advertisers why they should engage with them. In addition to knowing your own audiences, you can leverage insights from Nielsen’s Diverse Intelligence Series for deeper knowledge about their media habits, demographics and what they care about.

Although big media networks have dominated the ad marketplace for years, diverse media owners are now the lynchpin in helping shift ad dollars in support of diversity. When a diverse media owner becomes a serious contender in that marketplace, the equity balance will start tipping in favor of underrepresented communities. More investment in diverse media means greater visibility for their audiences and their authentic stories.

• Learn the acronyms and terminology used in ad buying and selling.
• Join ANA’s Alliance for Inclusive Multicultural Marketing (AIMM), whose mission is “prioritizing diverse consumers and advancing inclusive and multicultural marketing to achieve business growth and equity for all.”