CHAPTER 7

Audience Research in Advertising

Throughout this book we have stressed that the business of commercial television is to sell audiences to advertisers. But, unlike subscription newspapers and magazines, electronic media do not have circulation numbers to tell them who is using their product. Instead, they depend on research firms to estimate the size and composition of “their” audiences. These estimates, the ratings, are the principal information used by media and advertisers to determine the monetary value of television time.

Advertisers are interested in capturing the attention of the viewer or listener to convey some message. The message might be as simple as introducing people to a new brand or reminding them of an old one, or it ...

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