Twenty years after the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom

Audience research is essential
By George T. Waititu
George T. Waititu is a media research
consultant. He has been previously
been <strong>the</strong> CEO for Synovate (previously
The Steadman Group) in Pan Africa,
and is also a former president of
<strong>the</strong> Pan-Africa Media Research
Organisation — PAMRO. He has more
than 10 <strong>years</strong>’ experience in market
and media research.
The importance of regular, robust
and industry-recognised audience
measurement and media research
cannot be under-estimated in terms
of developing <strong>the</strong> African media.
National, international and continental
investment in media will
quite simply not happen without
high quality, independent and
rigorous audience research data.
These data are urgently required to
provide media owners, advertisers,
advertising agencies and media development
groups with market and
audience intelligence. This intelligence
is needed in order to:
• Provide essential audience behaviour
data as <strong>the</strong> bedrock
for informing <strong>the</strong> creative
process of programme making,
communications strategy development
and impact evaluation;
• Provide detailed viewing and
listening behaviour patterns
for informing scheduling and
acquisitions, and broader
communications policies;
• Maximize <strong>the</strong> efficient, effective
and accountable use of
ad-vertising through informed
planning and buying. Media
Section 2: Pluralism
buyers need to invest in media,
on behalf of <strong>the</strong>ir clients, that
guarantee <strong>the</strong>m optimum audience
returns.
Rigorous audience research is also
needed to:
• Provide a uniform tool for gauging
if <strong>the</strong> objectives of media
campaigns have been achieved;
• Provide an industry-wide, single
trading ‘currency’ for advertisers,
advertising agencies and media
owners for <strong>the</strong> buying and
selling of media space;
• Create <strong>the</strong> basis for objectively
and transparently setting rate
cards and evaluating campaign
performance by media within
and across markets.
This critical information is conspicuously
lacking in most African countries,
where audience measurement
and media research data is ei<strong>the</strong>r
completely unavailable or available
on very ad hoc, and often unsound,
basis.
Change, however, is being driven by
<strong>the</strong> Pan-Africa Media Research Organisation
(PAMRO). This body seeks
to promote <strong>the</strong> use of audience
measurement in Africa, in a context
where an increasingly competitive
media market produces a fragmented
environment in which consumers
face a vast array of media choices.
The context is also one in which
advertisers’ demands are changing.
The marketing fraternity and <strong>the</strong>ir
agencies are increasingly required to
demonstrate and measure “Return
on Advertising Investment” and to
justify <strong>the</strong>ir media buying strategies.
As a result, audience measurement
data is increasingly available in at
least 10 African countries ei<strong>the</strong>r on
a regular or ad hoc basis. Challenges
to improving on this situation
include:
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