Arbitron offer younger demos a VIP Service on PPM.
June 9, 2008
Arbitron Inc. announced that it now offers a free, customized concierge service targeted to Portable People Meter survey participants between the ages of 18 and 34. The user-controlled, web-based, telephone wakeup and reminder service is designed to improve compliance by increasing the day-to-day contacts between the PPMTM respondents and Arbitron’s ongoing panel relations efforts.
Called the PPM VIP Service, PPM panelists in New York, Houston and Philadelphia who live in households with a person age 18 – 34 in residence can use the personal digital calendar service to help keep track of their hectic schedules. Users can simply visit their password protected panelist web page and register any phone number to receive customized alerts for any personal event.
Once a panelist activates the service, they can receive alerts and reminders on as many as five different numbers. The simple, user-friendly Web site lets a panelist modify messages for each phone number, time of alert and personalize the content with exact text for every message they enter into the system. Later, when PPM VIP Service calls back at the designated day and time, an automated voice reads the same message the panelist input into the Web site.
“We’ve made tremendous strides in improving the representation of 18-34 year olds in all our PPM markets,” said Owen Charlebois, President, Technology and Research Development, Arbitron Inc. “We’ve seen double digit increases in DDI performance for 18-34 across the board, with equally significant increases for blacks and Hispanics in that demographic. The increase in sample has also markedly improved the proportionality of our PPM samples in terms of age, race, ethnicity and language preference. The PPM VIP Service is just one of many tools and programs we are using to enhance sample quality in our continuous improvement programs.”
Arbitron will consider adding to the options offered and expanding the service to additional PPM markets after an evaluation of panelist adoption rates and long-term usage patterns.
