Understanding Television Viewing Among Multi-Cultural Consumers
Abstract
Many U.S markets are developing into complex and fragmented multi-channel, multi-cultural environments. Making sense of the complex environments requires two things:
- Data that captures differences among and across many small segments of the population.
- Methods that can help to make sense of the data.
This paper outlines an effective method of analyzing set-top box data in order to identify behavioral patterns that align with multi cultural diversity
IntroductionIn many U.S markets, cultural and lingusitic diversity supports a wide-range of television viewing options and drives media fragmentation. In Los Angeles there are more than 350 channel choices, including networks targeted at Armenian, Chinese, Flemish, Swahili and Tagalog speakers. As we step back from this diverse world it may appear there is little order, that fragmentation is unmanageable. Making sense of the chaos is complicated by the nature and scope of television viewing data. However, it is possible to find order in this complex environment. Looking through the lens of set-top box data we have begun to examine the nature and scope of television viewing behavior in the culturally diverse market of Los Angeles. Set-top box data is ideal because it is:
- Based on large samples, to allow us to identify and quantify differences in behavior across many small groups.
- Granular, second-by-second measurement allows us to distinguish between different types of behaviors that people exhibit while they view.
Los Angeles is an excellent environment to study multi-cultural behavior. It is as diverse in terms of language, ethnicity, origin and media accessibility as any other market in the US. This research has three broad goals:
- First, to illustrate an effective approach to behavioral analysis that allows us to find order within a fragmented multi-channel and multi-cultural environment.
- Second, to identify the program sets and viewer segments, and to asses the degrees to which the behaviors parallel the cultural diversity of the market.
- Third, to discuss how the fragments can aggregate, and how culturally and behaviorally distinct programs can "work together" to drive reach within individual market segments and within the market as a whole.
We performed this analysis by using the Charter Cable Los Angeles data, based on a subset of more than 270,000 homes and 400,000 set-top boxes. In this analysis we paid specific attention to culture and language as a moderator of behavior, but this approach can be utilized in many markets and vertical subsets of markets, with equal effectiveness.
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