What is the

dierence between
conducting media
researches
internationally
versus locally

I think the biggest dierence is market readiness. Both media buyers and media owners are not yet
ready to invest in a complete quality media measurement system in Pakistan. Although, we are
carrying out TAM TV Audience Measurement, RAM Radio Audience Measurement, NRS National
Readership Survey etc. here in Pakistan, but either the sample size or frequency or at times, both
dont match international standards.
The other issue is the poor literacy rate in Pakistan that inhibits certain methodologies that are successfully
used in developed markets, for example the Diary method, self-completion questionnaires etc.
Scope, coverage and methodology may be considered as the key dierential factors between media
researches being done in Pakistan versus abroad. The major dierence lies in the methodology in
which conventional self-reporting oriented measures are being used like survey forms, face to face
interviews, pen & paper in Pakistan as compared to passive audience measurement in the
developed part of the world. TAM TV Audience Measurement in Pakistan is an exceptional currency, yet much
has been said and written about its panel limitations as being exercised in Pakistan.

As I mentioned earlier, the poor literacy rate in Pakistan is our biggest issue which leaves us with
only one choice; have a recall based face to face interview. Globally, the Diary method or CAPI
(Computer Assisted Personal Interviews) based face to face interviewing methods are the most
popular for conducting media surveys. Poor literacy rate doesnt allow us to place a dairy with
respondents and we have witnessed failure of Diary method that was being used for TV audience measurement
(TAM) prior to launch of people meter based rating.
Similarly, despite that CAPI based interviewing is growing rapidly in Pakistan, market research companies are
reluctant to use the methodology for large sample surveys. The first challenge is to find human resources to
constitute a big enough field force that can handle technology. Even if we overcome this challenge, recording of
open-ended questions is too much to ask. Open-ended questions can either be captured through Urdu typing,
which is next to impossible, or it can be captured in roman English which is very dicult to decipher accurately
at the data coding stage. A high rate of street crimes also contributes as a limiting factor for data capture
through technology. In other markets, tablets or smartphones are used for collecting data, for instance the NRS
in UK and India is carried out through the DS-CAPI (Double Screen-Computer Assisted Personal Interviews)
method, but in Pakistan market research agencies have a certain level of reluctance in using such gadgets for
large scale surveys due to the threat that they may get snatched.
As far as TAM is concerned, despite that the data capture is carried out electronically; the right use of
technology by illiterate panel respondents is a big question mark.

What are the logistic

issues that we face in
Pakistan when
conducting such
researches

Pakistans population is touching 200 million and has a wide geographical footprint, which poses a
daunting challenge for drawing out a representative sample and reaching out to it.
If conventional survey methods are followed to give media reach and frequency figures; the data gets
obsolete within months of its collection and processing. For passive audience measurements, the
deployment of massive number of expensive gadgets like peoples meter or GPS devices (for OOH measurement)
etc. makes it way too expensive in terms of the cost-value proposition for research agencies.

What is more
important for deriving
accurately
representative
results, an accurate
sample size or the
methodology through
which a research is
conducted

Various challenges surround media research and how it is conducted in Pakistan.

Television audience measurement, a very unique research currency in Pakistan, has
become all too controversial all of a sudden. Till our last issue came forth, radio
listenership measurement was under delivering in a number of contexts including the
sample size. Print readership measurement suers from lack of comprehensiveness
dedicated to gauging the print medium. Yet, media buying houses have mechanisms
in place for using insights to develop a comprehensive media plan.
Synergyzer features opinions from research, media planning & buying and TV
broadcast professionals on their stakeholding in the media research sector and what it
entails for each.

10

Issue-4 2015

Issue-4 2015

I think both.
Take an example from our own market. TAM uses the most advanced people meter technology that
recognizes transmission through digital watermarks, yet its sample consists of approximately 1000
households in top 20 cities, as announced recently by Medialogic and Kantar. By all international
standards, the sample is too low even for key 20 cities. Do you think a sample size of 30 households will be
representative of cities like Abbotabad, Jehlum or Nawabshah? Moreover, by not including the rest of urban and
rural markets, TAM is incapable of providing the right reach estimates for a number of regional channels that
may have very low viewer base in key cities, but are major players in their respective linguistic belts like KTN
and Apna network. They have complained about this factor a number of times and I believe they are justified.
The second example I shall quote here is of NRS National Readership Survey, which has a robust sample of
15,000 respondents but is conducted as a part of a single source survey, i.e. it also covers TV, radio, internet,
product consumption etc. When being executed, the average length of the survey interview exceeds 1.25 hours,
resulting in respondents fatigue and compromised response quality. I have experienced this firsthand and I
firmly believe that the quality of the NRS data as an independent survey covering print media engagement only
was significantly better versus the single source survey format. The other methodological issue here is the
frequency of the survey. Two other markets; UK, the pioneer for NRS and India, which is a very similar market to
ours, both carry out monthly data collection for conducting this survey. The third methodological issue is
measurement of the print consumed through digital medium. Digital publishing is a fast emerging phenomenon
and UK caters to the need for measuring it by merging the NRS data with ComScore, a tool that gathers website
trac data, while the Pakistani form of NRS has no such measuring tool.

Though 'representativeness is more correlated with the sample size; methodology is fundamental
for the accuracy of results. Having said that, sample size is one of the most critical factors to
determine the methodology itself.

11

A number of media researchers

indicate a very low number i.e.
50 when it comes to
determining a sample size
according to international
guidelines. What are your views
on this and how relevant is this
sample size to conducting
researches in Pakistan

Statistically speaking, even a sample of 30 respondents is valid. However, what number is

statistically robust and can be extrapolated to the total population is a dierent ball game. Following
can be a comparison that will help understand international standards for media survey sampling:
Pakistan with a population of 182 million has a panel of 1,000 households for TAM and a sample size
of 15,000 people for NRS annually, whereas UK with a population of 64 million has a panel of 5,100 household
for TV audience ratings and a sample size of 23,000 respondents annually for NRS. India with a population of
over 1.2 billion on the other hand; has a panel of 12,000 households, which will soon be expanded to 20,000
households, while approximately 300,000 people constitute the sample size for NRS annually.
Considering these numbers, we are definitely under-sampled as compared to international standards. Yet, I do
not find blame with the market research industry only; rather media buyers and sellers are to be blamed for this
equally. Unless there is a demand for higher resolution measures, the optimal sample size and frequency cant
be achieved.
There are two factors which determine any sample size. One, the degree of complexity of the need
that is to be met by research and two, breaking down data to give useful insights about the audience.
The high number of media vehicles, i.e. electronic media channels, print titles and OOH sites which
are further subdivided into titles within; and the highly fragmented audience culturally,
socio-economically and geographically that each one targets; translate into a very complex media landscape
of Pakistan. Its simply not logically correct to think that 50 will be a representative sample of the population of
a city like Mardan or Sukkur let alone the entire province or country or a particular sub-culture or SEC.

It simply does not work that way!

Sample size depends on what geographical and market breakdowns are required and the cost of the
survey to be conducted, rather than what media buyers and sellers are willing to spend on the TV
rating service. If it was supposed to be based on population, then Indias TV rating sample size
should be 20 times that of UK, i.e. if UK TAM has a sample size of approximately 5,000 households then India
should be covering 100,000 households, instead of the optimally decided size of maximum 20,000
households.
Hence, how it is required to be carried out is, if we have to take a collective national sample where there is no
need to break the sample down further then 2,000 households are statistically sucient. Yet, if the data were to
reflect 10 key cities, rest of urban and a rural sample separately, then the requirement may be of covering 5,000
households.
Unlike simple U&A - Usage and Attitude, or KAP - Knowledge, Attitude, Practice surveys; media
researches are supposed to carry as large sample sizes as possible. If the data is going to be used for
media planning and buying, which is usually the purpose of carrying out such researches; then
at least 10,000 to 15,000 respondents should be interviewed if the survey method is to be used to
represent a population of 100 million adults in Pakistan. In case of passive audience measurement i.e. TAM,
GPS devices etc., the number can be brought to a quarter of this sample size, which is apt for face to face
interviews or other self-reported measures.

Being a multinational organization, we follow strict guidelines and checks & balances for
authenticating and gauging the credibility of data. Whenever we outsource data, the providers go
through credibility checks before they conduct researches for us or we buy from them. The data as
well as the collection process is reviewed internally and with regional research teams and we
proceed only when a consensus is reached between local, regional and global teams.
We have our own media tool called the Consumer Connection System (CCS) Planner, which is a
complete planning system on its own. It is one of the most in-depth communication tools, which has
the capability of providing solutions which are projective as well as prescriptive in nature since it
directly correlates media selection to a brands business, marketing and communication objectives.
Also, there are certain other tools like Ipsos Consumer Multimedia Index (CMi) that are there to validate this
data, however, such tracking studies do not provide real time data. These researches are conducted once a year
and give information related to multi-touch point scenarios related to various product categories.

Besides using certified TV

audience measurement data,
are there any other insights
that you use while making a
media plan

How much percentage of the

population should be included
in a media research sample to
derive accurately
representative results

Most of our MNC clients such as Unilever, GSK and Pepsi conduct research on their own. The data
they share with us includes insights from tools in the marketing mix like dierent advertising tracking
parameters that further include top of mind recall, TV ad awareness measures, brand and advertising
image measures, insights from the brand value pyramid etc. They also share understanding and
analytics from the distribution and retail end as well as surveys. Then we have local clients who may not carry
out scientifically drawn researches, yet know the market very well due to their acumen and experience as well
as the intelligence they gather from their distribution and retail mix. We put all of this information together
when formulating media plans.
There is another online TV rating system called R-View that provides general audience ratings using
Reverse Path Data (RPD) collected from PTCL Smart Boxes. The universe is equal to the total number
of households using PTCL Smart Boxes, which immediately makes the numbers huge. This system
produces a continuous stream of data from the Smart Box households.

I believe I should clarify here that the reasons for lower ratings that are being much touted about are
a major misconception. Recently, lower TV audience ratings have been a result of an increase in the
number of people meters, where viewership is being calculated on a larger base hence appears
scattered.
Another issue is that the industrys research calculations are based on the last credible census conducted in the
late 90s and since then we simply apply standard formulae to calculate growth patterns. In reality, TV
households have increased tremendously as has the population. This has led to a major evolution in viewership
habits, which have completely transformed from the conventional, which were based around having the option
of watching only one channel i.e. PTV to the currently available 85+ channels platter. Hence, it is very important
for the media industry to gain necessary clarity around audience measurement ratings and the factors that need
to be focused on.

Before using media research

data, e.g. TV audience
measurement and ad tracking,
is there any way through which
you gauge the authenticity of
the media research data or the
sample size

12

We do subscribe to media research including TV audience measurement (TAM), advertisement

tracking for dierent mediums etc. as well as conducting our own research. Since we are a media
planning and buying agency, our expertise and experience also provides us with the needed
insights. All of these factors combined help us get a feel for the accuracy of the data and we take
decisions accordingly.
Factors that we analyze in our research include Anity, which is the measure of a users loyalty to a particular
TV channel (or brand in other cases); CPRP Cost Per Rating Point, defined as the cost incurred per 1% percent
of a specified audience for buying advertising space in a given media vehicle; CPM Cost Per Thousand, which
is the cost incurred to reach 1,000 viewers etc.
In 2009, we introduced Mindshare Globals proprietary research tool called 3D in Pakistan, which is a
comprehensive quantitative study that currently covers media consumption and advertisement volume tracking
of TV, print, radio, out-of-home and digital in 20 cities and we intend to gradually integrate more qualitative
components as well as increase the geographical coverage as we gain expertise in conducting research
in the country.
The most common way is to do a sense-check with the data; the abnormally skewed numbers
immediately attract attention when a planner carries out TV scheduling.
Also, there are certain other checks that we apply before using the data, for instance comparing
sample size numbers for major cities versus smaller cities, which indicates if all cities are
represented correctly or not. This kind of check can also be applied on other factors like age and SEC. However,
this could be challenging, as sampling itself is a complex exercise.
It is to be noted here that when ratings get abnormally high or low, they immediately impact the CPRP, which is
one of the key performance indicators that brand teams usually use to measure the performance of a TV
schedule. Any skew will make a planner check rating numbers. For example, when Medialogic expanded their
sample size to more cities as a partnership with Kantar Media UK, the overall CPRP went up. As the sample size
expanded, the system started giving more granular ratings, which was actually a more realistic picture.

Issue-4 2015

Besides this, is there any other

background check that you
conduct to validate the data
findings

What are the challenges that

you encounter due to lower
ratings

As the Head of Sales & Marketing, my biggest and most important challenge is to manage revenue
targets for the channel.
We reach out to our audiences using dierent platforms to communicate our content with the goal of
increasing viewership and TV audience ratings. We also reach out to our business partners in
this regard.

How do you make eective use

of programming to get higher
ratings

We perform demographical research and focus groups on our content to analyze various factors
including audience habits, time span, gender, preferable timeslots, priority artists and writers. After
we gather all the data, we plan and execute our programming, as well as adjust our communication
plans and execution, accordingly.
Here I want to point out that there are social and ethical responsibilities attached to the kind of programming
any channel is carrying out, which cannot be compromised. Yet, this is a practice that is being carried out and
concerned authorities have not yet shown any interest in this development.
With strong content and even stronger storylines. It is a matter of reaching out to our audiences on a
higher scale, using digital, particularly social media to engage and develop audiences and connect
with viewers dynamically.

PTV 2 WAS THE FIRST EVER SATELLITE CHANNEL

OF PAKISTAN THAT STARTED IN 1992.
Issue-4 2015

13

Lower literacy, high unemployment and changing viewership trends are some of the causes for the
prime time slot to be diminishing; however, we solve this problem by conducting research. Focus
groups help us analyze our position and gain an edge over competition. We gather credible insight
from our findings through research and then design our FPCs (fixed point charts, which are the
schedule of TV programs for any channel), accordingly. For content that is comparatively higher in demand, we
place it with the required frequency in the FPC.
Prime Time is still the prime invested time slot. However, we cannot ignore the fact that other slots
are gaining momentum in terms of viewership, translating to higher audience ratings and we combat
that by creating content that wows the audience.

The concept of prime time seems to

be diminishing with a number of time
slots having gained a lot of
momentum like the post-prime slot,
morning slot etc. How are you
adjusting your programming to go
head to head with competition

RADIO PAKISTAN CAME INTO BEING ON 14 AUGUST 1947 WHEN PAKISTAN

EMERGED ON THE WORLD MAP AS A NEW COUNTRY. THE INDEPENDENCE OF
PAKISTAN WAS ANNOUNCED THROUGH RADIO PAKISTAN ON AUG 13, 1947 AT
11:59 PM IN URDU, FOLLOWED BY A SIMILAR ANNOUNCEMENT IN ENGLISH.
MUSTAFA ALI HAMDANI (19091980) MADE THE URDU ANNOUNCEMENT IN
THE FOLLOWING WORDS:

THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS AS FOLLOWS:

GREETINGS!
PAKISTAN BROADCASTING SERVICE. WE ARE SPEAKING FROM LAHORE. THE
NIGHT BETWEEN THE THIRTEEN AND FOURTEEN OF AUGUST, YEAR FORTY
SEVEN. IT IS TWELVE O'CLOCK. DAWN OF FREEDOM.

JAWANI PHIR NAHI AANI HAS BECOME THE HIGHEST GROSSING PAKISTANI
FILM EVER. THE FILM CHOORIAN HAD COLLECTED USD 4.4M BACK IN 1998
AND NOW 17 YEARS LATER, THAT RECORD HAS BEEN BROKEN BY JAWANI PHIR
NAHI AANI AS THE FILM HAS COLLECTED A LITTLE OVER USD 4.4M.

IN 1947, ONLY 4 MAJOR MUSLIM-OWNED NEWSPAPERS EXISTED IN THE

AREA NOW CALLED PAKISTAN: PAKISTAN TIMES, ZAMINDAR, NAWA-I-WAQT,
AND CIVIL-MILITARY GAZETTE.

TOTAL TV VIEWERS THAT INCLUDE CABLE, SATELLITE AND TERRESTRIAL

VIEWERS ARE 135 MILLION WHICH IS 75% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION,
ACCORDING TO THE 2014 PEMRA REPORT.

PEMRA WAS FORMERLY CALLED R.A.M.B.O

(REGULATORY AUTHORITY FOR MEDIA AND
BROADCAST ORGANIZATIONS).

14

Issue-4 2015

What is the
dierence between
conducting media
researches
internationally
versus locally

I think the biggest dierence is market readiness. Both media buyers and media owners are not yet
ready to invest in a complete quality media measurement system in Pakistan. Although, we are
carrying out TAM TV Audience Measurement, RAM Radio Audience Measurement, NRS National
Readership Survey etc. here in Pakistan, but either the sample size or frequency or at times, both
dont match international standards.
The other issue is the poor literacy rate in Pakistan that inhibits certain methodologies that are successfully
used in developed markets, for example the Diary method, self-completion questionnaires etc.
Scope, coverage and methodology may be considered as the key dierential factors between media
researches being done in Pakistan versus abroad. The major dierence lies in the methodology in
which conventional self-reporting oriented measures are being used like survey forms, face to face
interviews, pen & paper in Pakistan as compared to passive audience measurement in the
developed part of the world. TAM TV Audience Measurement in Pakistan is an exceptional currency, yet much
has been said and written about its panel limitations as being exercised in Pakistan.

As I mentioned earlier, the poor literacy rate in Pakistan is our biggest issue which leaves us with
only one choice; have a recall based face to face interview. Globally, the Diary method or CAPI
(Computer Assisted Personal Interviews) based face to face interviewing methods are the most
popular for conducting media surveys. Poor literacy rate doesnt allow us to place a dairy with
respondents and we have witnessed failure of Diary method that was being used for TV audience measurement
(TAM) prior to launch of people meter based rating.
Similarly, despite that CAPI based interviewing is growing rapidly in Pakistan, market research companies are
reluctant to use the methodology for large sample surveys. The first challenge is to find human resources to
constitute a big enough field force that can handle technology. Even if we overcome this challenge, recording of
open-ended questions is too much to ask. Open-ended questions can either be captured through Urdu typing,
which is next to impossible, or it can be captured in roman English which is very dicult to decipher accurately
at the data coding stage. A high rate of street crimes also contributes as a limiting factor for data capture
through technology. In other markets, tablets or smartphones are used for collecting data, for instance the NRS
in UK and India is carried out through the DS-CAPI (Double Screen-Computer Assisted Personal Interviews)
method, but in Pakistan market research agencies have a certain level of reluctance in using such gadgets for
large scale surveys due to the threat that they may get snatched.
As far as TAM is concerned, despite that the data capture is carried out electronically; the right use of
technology by illiterate panel respondents is a big question mark.

What are the logistic

issues that we face in
Pakistan when
conducting such
researches

Pakistans population is touching 200 million and has a wide geographical footprint, which poses a
daunting challenge for drawing out a representative sample and reaching out to it.
If conventional survey methods are followed to give media reach and frequency figures; the data gets
obsolete within months of its collection and processing. For passive audience measurements, the
deployment of massive number of expensive gadgets like peoples meter or GPS devices (for OOH measurement)
etc. makes it way too expensive in terms of the cost-value proposition for research agencies.

What is more
important for deriving
accurately
representative
results, an accurate
sample size or the
methodology through
which a research is
conducted

Various challenges surround media research and how it is conducted in Pakistan.

Television audience measurement, a very unique research currency in Pakistan, has
become all too controversial all of a sudden. Till our last issue came forth, radio
listenership measurement was under delivering in a number of contexts including the
sample size. Print readership measurement suers from lack of comprehensiveness
dedicated to gauging the print medium. Yet, media buying houses have mechanisms
in place for using insights to develop a comprehensive media plan.
Synergyzer features opinions from research, media planning & buying and TV
broadcast professionals on their stakeholding in the media research sector and what it
entails for each.

10

Issue-4 2015

Issue-4 2015

I think both.
Take an example from our own market. TAM uses the most advanced people meter technology that
recognizes transmission through digital watermarks, yet its sample consists of approximately 1000
households in top 20 cities, as announced recently by Medialogic and Kantar. By all international
standards, the sample is too low even for key 20 cities. Do you think a sample size of 30 households will be
representative of cities like Abbotabad, Jehlum or Nawabshah? Moreover, by not including the rest of urban and
rural markets, TAM is incapable of providing the right reach estimates for a number of regional channels that
may have very low viewer base in key cities, but are major players in their respective linguistic belts like KTN
and Apna network. They have complained about this factor a number of times and I believe they are justified.
The second example I shall quote here is of NRS National Readership Survey, which has a robust sample of
15,000 respondents but is conducted as a part of a single source survey, i.e. it also covers TV, radio, internet,
product consumption etc. When being executed, the average length of the survey interview exceeds 1.25 hours,
resulting in respondents fatigue and compromised response quality. I have experienced this firsthand and I
firmly believe that the quality of the NRS data as an independent survey covering print media engagement only
was significantly better versus the single source survey format. The other methodological issue here is the
frequency of the survey. Two other markets; UK, the pioneer for NRS and India, which is a very similar market to
ours, both carry out monthly data collection for conducting this survey. The third methodological issue is
measurement of the print consumed through digital medium. Digital publishing is a fast emerging phenomenon
and UK caters to the need for measuring it by merging the NRS data with ComScore, a tool that gathers website
trac data, while the Pakistani form of NRS has no such measuring tool.

Though 'representativeness is more correlated with the sample size; methodology is fundamental
for the accuracy of results. Having said that, sample size is one of the most critical factors to
determine the methodology itself.

11