TouchPoints USA offers syndicated single-source, consumer insight data designed to inform integrated communications, strategy, planning and execution.
TouchPoints data is made up of three elements:
- active data, collected through panelist responses to eDiary questions;
- passively collected data; and
- third party data to ensure TouchPoints data is nationally representative.
The result is a highly robust data product, which measures all media exposure; the only tool of its kind. Data sets are available for the US, US Hispanics, and Canada.
eDiary Questions
Questions within the TouchPoints eDiary are designed to uncover deep insight into the lifestyle, behaviors and media consumption of consumers. A sample set of panelists provide details of their activities in the TouchPoints eDiary for every 30 minutes of their waking day, across ten days, which must include a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This provides a detailed profile of consumers and how they interact with various forms of media, brands and technology.
Questions asked within each country are broadly similar, with the necessary localized elements, like country specific brands. Today we’re going to examine the TouchPoints USA eDiary questions to demonstrate the level of data which we are able to collect about media consumption behavior among the US population.
‘Tell us about yourself’ Questions
At the beginning of the study, panelists are asked to supply some information about themselves which is crucial to later insight analytics. These questions include:
- Demographics: age, gender, employment status, marital status, ethnicity, education level, household income
- Political affiliations
- Sexual orientation
- Household members
- Languages spoken
- Media channels and devices available in the household
Half Hourly Questions
Every half hour over a ten day period, panelists are asked to capture their activity, media consumption, company and their different emotions during these times.
Questions fall broadly into the categories below, and which questions the panelists are asked depends on the answers they provide to allow a further look into their activities. Below are just a few examples.
Where were you?
Where media is consumed is an important data point for understanding the optimum channels and messages for advertising. For example, we are able to identify trends in the viewing habits of different demographics around large sporting events, such as The Super Bowl. This is a key factor in receptivity.
What were you doing?
As well as more specific questions such as what kind of snacks did you eat while doing what you were doing.
Who were you with?
Having a better understanding of what people are doing and who they are with while being exposed to media is a huge advantage for all media and advertising brands. This level of research and data shows brands how to best connect with relevant audiences in the most cost effective manner.
What different types of media were you using and how?
How are you feeling?
Crucial to the quality of the TouchPoints data is the collection of data related to emotional state during the consumption of media.
Late in the day questions
The late in the day questions are asked once only, towards the end of each day. They are designed to focus on purchasing decisions, both considered and actually made. The sorts of questions we ask are:
- Which of the following type of stores did you shop at today?
- Which of the following search engines did you use today?
- Which media or source that you used today prompted you to talk about or share something you saw or read?
These questions are a daily retrospective account of purchasing decisions and behaviors across the day. They allow us to follow the shopping choices of consumer and to understand whether media exposure has affected their behavior, or has an opportunity to do so.
It also acts as an audience measurement tool, recording exposure to adverts and media, and revealing the path to purchase and overall purchasing behavior of target customers.
TouchPoints questions allow us to see how media fits into people’s everyday lives. We track not only the logistics of how media fits into the lives of consumers, but also their receptivity to it. We track their emotions and feelings, enabling us to understand key opportunities for brand promotion.
Because this data is single source – one methodology for audience measurement across all media, TouchPoints provides marketers with one of the richest behavioral and contextual databases available, offering the ability to drill into specific parts of consumer behavior, enabling them to optimize campaign effectiveness.
