It's one thing to know what consumers do on their tablets. But knowing what else they are doing while using tablets is entirely different. Our new report on tablets and multi-tasking examines how tablet owners multi-task, their simultaneous use of TVs and tablets and their interest in In-App advertising, as well as trends in digital usage.

The report helps marketers understand how tablet owners engage in multiple activities. For example, it shows that – at least once in the last seven days – 63% used their device while watching TV. Of these two screen viewers, 28% used their tablets to look up information about a product advertised during a program and 12% bought a product advertised during a show.

We also see that 41% of tablet owners' TV viewing time is devoted to two screens, and their activities amplify program content in a variety of ways. For instance, at least once in the last seven days:

• 34% of two-screen viewers posted comments on Facebook, Twitter, a blog or another website regarding a show being watched.
• 25% of two-screen viewers visited a network or show's website, fan-site or app.
• 21% of two-screen viewers obtained information related to a show being watched.

The GfK MRI iPanel™ Reporter on tablets and multi-tasking is the first in a series of iPanel topic-specific studies that will provide comprehensive, up-to-date insights and trending data on the digital activities and attitudes of tablet and e-reader owners.

iPanel is comprised exclusively of tablet and e-reader owners. We have 6,000 registered panel members, which gives us about 1,300 respondents per online survey.

To receive a complimentary copy of the GfK MRI iPanel Reporter on tablets and multi-tasking, please click here.

Listen up … people are talking, and they might even be talking about you. More than 2.1 billion brand impressions are created via word of mouth each day in the U.S., with 90% occurring offline. Despite all the chatter about social media, marketers have recognized that actual conversations among family, friends and colleagues are vital to a brand’s success. A new GfK MRI and Keller Fay fusion links brands, media and word of mouth by merging the Survey of the American Consumer® and Keller Fay’s TalkTrack®, the only ongoing research service that monitors what people talk about, offline.

The TalkTrack/GfK MRI Data Fusion™ helps media agencies and owners plan strategies to maximize word of mouth about brands and companies. Bringing together the most comprehensive word of mouth database and the leading currency study for print media will:

1. Link category conversations to specific media audiences and product owner groups.
2. Link brand conversations to specific media audiences and product owner groups.
3. Rank media audiences based on engagement in product and brand word of mouth.

Say you're marketing a diet soda brand, and you want to connect with people who talk a lot about your category. The fusion tells you that the top ranking magazines read by consumers who talk about diet soda on a daily basis are Family Circle, In Style and WebMD.

Want to tap into conversations about automotive? The TalkTrack/GfK MRI Data Fusion shows that the top TV shows among people who talk about this category on a weekly basis are America's Most Wanted, American Idol Rewind and Smallville.

“The fact is: all media are social. Every form of media – TV, print, in-store and online – have the potential to stimulate conversations. By connecting word of mouth data to the Survey, it's now possible to identify which audiences are most likely to talk about a marketer's category and brands,” said Brad Fay, COO of Keller Fay Group.

For more information, please contact us.

Audience fragmentation isn't a problem for Simulmedia. They know exactly how to put all the right pieces together. The television advertising company uses set top box data in tandem with the GfK MRI/Nielsen Data Fusion to improve audience targeting, package campaign spots and increase ROI for their advertiser clients. This unique combination of resources lets Simulmedia go beyond the typical buying specs of demographics, geography and dayparts to sell audiences that also are defined by consumer behaviors.

The Nielsen TV/GfK MRI Data Fusion complements the Simulmedia Audience Network. Simulmedia's proprietary system uses predictive technologies and anonymous viewing data to identify and predict the viewing tendencies of audiences in television dayparts that may seem counter-intuitive – but, to the contrary, are right on target. The fusion is an integration of 20,000+ Live Plus 7 program ratings from Nielsen's National People Meter and thousands of data points from GfK MRI's Survey of the American Consumer®. In addition to services provided to advertiser clients, Simulmedia delivers incremental national ad dollars to its TV partners by selling under-appreciated inventory.

Simulmedia says that they chose the Nielsen TV/GfK MRI Data Fusion because it provides access to industry standard data used by media buyers and planners. And also because of the depth and richness of information it offers on viewers’ media choices, lifestyles, attitudes and purchase behavior. "With this fusion, our findings are more actionable than ever before," said Dave Morgan, Simulmedia CEO. "It lets us accumulate unduplicated reach against desired targets at the lowest cost-per-unique reach for hundreds of ad categories, including retail, finance and travel.”

Here are a couple of examples that show how the fusion has helped Simulmedia's clients:

The client: a major mobile service provider promoting their cellular service

Client request: The mobile service provider wanted to make their TV ad dollars go further. Their primary competitor was outspending them and, because of audience fragmentation, their TV media impressions were reaching a shrinking portion of their target audience.

Simulmedia's response: Simulmedia’s proprietary Audience Engine packaged more than 3,000 targeted ad units across 61 networks; a campaign customized to complement the client’s base TV plan. The campaign used GfK MRI's specification, “A18-54 with household income greater than $60K and are on a family shared plan” as its target.

The results: Simulmedia accumulated more unduplicated reach against the target at the lowest cost-per-unique reach, making them the most efficient network on the plan. Additionally, Simulmedia delivered 258% more unduplicated reach of A18-54 than the network schedule average and 213% more unduplicated reach of A18-54, $60K+.

The client: A financial services company

Client request: A financial services company wanted to lessen the effects of audience fragmentation by increasing their unduplicated reach and decreasing frequency against heavy TV viewers. Their target audience of high net worth individuals is small and they had exhausted endemic programming opportunities on financial news and golf shows.

Simulmedia's response: Simulmedia used the Nielsen TV/GfK MRI Data Fusion to find their audience at a cost-per-viewer that was better than half of the networks on the base TV schedule. Simulmedia achieved that by packaging more than 3,100 targeted ad units across 68 networks.

The results: Simulmedia reached more of the unduplicated target audience than the 19 networks on the plan, except CBS and NBC, at a lower cost-per-unique viewer, making them the most efficient network on the plan. They delivered 113% more unduplicated target “A25-54, 250K+” reach than the network schedule average. The campaign reached more of the target audience than their closest competitor and at a 53% lower ad spend.

"Given the fragmented nature of TV audiences, we need to provide highly-specific insights and highly targeted campaigns, and receive detailed reporting for clients' campaigns," said Morgan. "The fusion helps us do just that."

New York City straphangers are more than riders of mass transit. They're also members of a mass audience. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has started to sell ads – on the front, as well as the back – of MetroCards, and MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota is optimistic that this will bring in big revenue. Insights from our Survey of the American Consumer® on attitudes towards advertising among New Yorkers who use public transportation can help determine if this optimism is warranted.

Attitudes are mixed towards advertising, overall

New Yorkers who ride subways and buses have mixed feeling towards advertising. Although the overall percentages of straphangers who are favorable towards advertising is relatively low, the good news is that they are more likely than typical adults to express certain positive sentiments:

• 22% (Index 117) say that ads help keep them up-to-date about products and services they need or would like to have.
• 17% (Index 114) say they like to look at advertising.

The downside, however, is that more than one-third (37%) think "Much of advertising is way too annoying." (Inline with typical adults, nationwide.)

Take away

If you're considering advertising on the front of cards, copy test to be sure your ads get the thumbs up from cynical New Yorkers.  

Attitudes are more positive towards advertising in certain media

No ad stands alone. Integrated advertising across different channels reinforces marketing goals. So it's important to know which other media will best complement the objectives of your MetroCard campaigns.

Take away

Use complementary media to reinforce MetroCard ads. For example, go with TV and magazines to announce something new. About one-half of NY straghangers say those media provide useful information about new products and services.

Small space, big opportunity for promotional offers and coupons

New York straphangers are more likely than typical adults to take advantage of product sample promotions and just as likely to switch brands if they have a coupon. More than seven in ten (72% - Index 112) would rather get a sample of a product than a coupon. Coupons are not a bad idea, however. Although 66% (Index 148) say they don't have time to bother clipping or saving coupons, an offer on a MetroCard simply requires showing the card. Plus, 51% (Index 105) say they'd gladly switch brands to use a coupon, giving marketers the chance to attract new customers.

Take away

The size and shelf life of MetroCards ups their utility for coupons and promotional offers. Think about using them to promote samples first, then consider coupons.

Remember that coupon pricing affects consumers' perception of their value: everyone likes a good deal, but no one likes to feel they are being swindled. Especially New Yorkers who've just learned that the C Train is running late, again.

Julie Erbe Manager / Web Training & Advertiser Services

MEMRI's "And" function lets you combine multiple attributes, such as age and gender. Most of the time, this function gives you the results you're looking for, but when coding multiple attributes manually for three categories — Automotive, Travel and TV Sets — extra steps are required.

Let’s take the automotive category as an example. In the self-administered product questionnaire, respondents are asked about their most recent purchase/lease as well as previous purchases/leases.  For example:

If you're looking at an automotive single trait, such as  “have a  convertible," no special coding is required — you can use the code for net any convertible to get all convertibles owned. Or if you use MEMRI®, you can simply use the special code function that you'll see as a tab in the electronic codebook. 

But when manually coding multiple traits (e.g. the respondent "bought” a ”convertible”), you would need to specify that this purchase was for the most recent, 2nd most recent, 3rd most recent, etc. purchase: ("bought most recent" & "convertible most recent") OR (bought "2nd most recent" & "convertible 2nd most recent") OR (“bought 3rd most recent” & “convertible 3rd most recent”) OR (“bought 4th most recent” & “convertible 4th most recent”) to get all buyers of convertibles. 

The right way to use numeric codes for that would be:

(199801&200011)!(201801&202011)!(203801&204011)!(205801&206011)

This code gives us anyone who bought a convertible as any of their last four vehicle acquisitions.

We often see clients code incorrectly for these categories when using the "net any" selection. For example, if you coded the net any code for "net any bought" & "net any convertible," you'd be reporting people who have a convertible and bought a car, but the purchased car might not be the convertible. 

Learn more about GfK MRI data—best practices, common mistakes, advanced uses, and more by attending GfK MRI's online webinars led by me—Julie Erbe. Please send me a note if you would like to attend the webinars but have not received evites.