npr: staying true to our mission in a changing media landscape
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February 10, 2011 presentation by Lori Kaplan, Director of Audience Insight and Research, NPR to the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Marketing Research Association.Title: NPR: Staying True to Our Mission in a Changing Media LandscapeTRANSCRIPT
Not your father’s NPR:NPR: Staying True to Our Mission in AChanging Media Landscape
February 2011
NPR Mission
The mission of NPR is to work in partnership with member stations to create a more informed public - one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas and cultures.
To accomplish our mission, we produce, acquire, and distribute programming that meets the highest standards of public service in journalism and cultural expression; we represent our members in matters of their mutual interest; and we provide satellite interconnection for the entire public radio system.
A standard-setting producer and distributer of news, information and music programming
Home of two of the three most popular radio programs in the country; Morning Edition and All Things Considered
Honored with the broadcast industry’s most prestigious awards, including 48 George Foster Peabody Awards and 26 Alfred l. duPont-Columbia University Awards to date
Among the most trusted media outlets in America (Roper)
NPR for 40 Years
NPR remains:
Universal Access: Stations in 98% of U.S. Markets
International DistributionNPR Berlin Satellite (Eutelsat Hotbird & SKY)AFRShortwave24% Never lived in U.S. ; 18% no-native English speakers
Domestic DistributionNPR Stations in all 50 States, Puerto Rico, Guam & Virgin IslandsXM/Sirius Satellite
Challenge 1: NPR Brand Image Influencers
NPR in Sights & Sound
Video Address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcyUu3l7lb0
- Lord Kelvin, 1897
English Scientist,
President of the Royal Society
Radio has no future
Challenge 2: Radio Threats
A Dramatic Recent History
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
1967 Public Broadcasting Act
Internet Streaming
mp
3N
aps
ter
CD
Bu
rne
r
Fil
e S
har
ing
Satellite Radio
Inte
rnet
Ra
dio
Po
dc
asti
ng
Rad
io S
har
k
Smart Phones
iPad/Tablets
HD
Rad
io
Blo
gg
ing
Against this backdrop . . . Growth
9/11
CLINTON IMPEACHMENT
HEARINGS
IRAQ WAR
ELECTION ‘04
PRIMARIES AND ELECTION
‘08
THE NUMBER OF LISTENERS TO NPR NEWSMAGAZINE STATIONS IN THE TOP
MARKETS HAS INCREASED BY 56% SINCE 1998
THE NUMBER OF LISTENERS TO NPR NEWSMAGAZINE STATIONS HAS REACHED A NEW RECORD HIGH IN THE
SPRING 2010 SURVEY
SOURCE: ARBITRON MAXIMI$ER/PPM ANALYSIS TOOL, NPR NEWSMAGAZINE STATIONS IN THE TOP 50 METROS, PERSONS 12+, MONDAY-SUNDAY 6AM-12MIDNIGHT
Presence Across PlatformsChallenge 3: Measurement Across Platforms
27 MillionWeekly
14.7 MillionWeekly
Downloads
1.6 MillionMonthly
(mobile site)
700,000Monthly
(news app)
100,000Monthly
(music app)
270,000Monthly
1,483,403 Friends
Source of 8% of
Traffic to npr.org
14 MillionMonthly
Challenge 4: The Elephant in the Room
“I listen to it, my friends listen to it, my family listens to it. [NPR] is one of those things that actually makes me proud to be an American. ”
Moby
Defunding Threat 6 amendments introduced in the House that either cut funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting or prohibit federal funds from being used to purchase NPR services
NPR’s Financial Relationship to Stations
Federal Appropriation
CPB
PBSStations(75%)
NPRStations
(25%) 34cents per adult
Purchase Programs from NPR +
Membership Fee
Research at NPR
NPR listenersTotal U.S. adults
Internal Consultancy: customer satisfaction, program evaluation, needs assessment, performance tracking, service launch & product development, strategic research (segmentation & competitive positioning)
Director
Research Manager,Programming
Research Manager,Digital
Research Manager,Sponsorship & Development
Carriage Manager
Panel Manager
Research Analyst
+ 2 Interns year-round
Web Metrics Analyst
NPR Labs
Research Clients – All Work Units
NPR listenersTotal U.S. adults
Primary Clients Secondary Clients Tertiary Clients
News Member & Program Services
Engineering & Distribution
Acquired Programming Communications (Internal & External)
Finance & Administration
Digital Media ITHuman Resources
Corporate Sponsorship General Counsel
Development Policy & Representation
Research Competencies: Insourcing
NPR listenersTotal U.S. adults
Syndicated Data Arbitron Nielsen
Netview @Plan eMarketer Omniture Gfk MRI
Skills & Resources
Survey Tools Surveymonkey Vovici (listener
panel) 30,000+ participants
Qualitative IDIs Usability testing Guerilla research Online Community
Discussions
Outsourced Research Focus Groups Non-listener
sample/surveys Advanced Analytics Auditorium Testing
Case Study 1: Project Argo
NPR & Station Digital Competition
Case Study 1: Project Argo
Question: Can we execute a successful digital station strategy through subject matter expertise?
Case Study 1: Project Argo
Expert Interviews (NPR Research) Spring 2009 Jeff Cole, Director USC Annenberg Center for Digital
Future Josh Stearns, Project Manager at Free Press Gary Kebbel, Director, Knight Foundation Journalism
Program Sarah Rotman Epps, Analyst, Forrester Research Tom Webster, President, Edison Research Nick Thomas, Analyst, Forrester Research Individual Listener Interviews (Jacobs Media) Ann Arbor & Southfield, MI and Washington, DC
(7/2009) External Recruit
Usability Testing (NPR Research) May 2010 Washington, DC Panelist Recruit
Case Study 1: Project ArgoMusic in Philly
Case Study 1: Project ArgoMilitary in San Diego
Case Study 1: Project ArgoTechnology & Environment in Bay Area
Case Study 2: Monthly Program Resonance Tracking
Problems:
1. Limited internal audience for newly launched listener panel
2. New senior leadership requests our participation in creating an audience-focused organization
Case Study 2: Monthly Program Resonance Tracking
Each Month• 300 respondents per show• Core listeners• All NPR produced programs (Morning Edition, All Things
Considered, Talk of the Nation, Tell Me More, Weekend Edition, Newscast)
Questions• Attention level change from 6 months ago• Listening level change from 6 months ago• Reasons for changes (schedule, satisfaction, topics)• Quality level change from 6 months ago• Likelihood to recommend• Open ends (like most, least, additional comments)
Case Study 2: Monthly Program Resonance Tracking
Our Cup is Full
Audience Engagement
Not just engagement . . . but enthusiasm
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxRgNnue-zk
Lori Kaplan, NPR Director Audience Insight & Research [email protected]
Follow NPR Audience Insight & Research on our blog:http://www.npr.org/blogs/gofigure/
September 2010