Data is currency and understanding how we gather it can surely make the world go round! This session brought together three leading experts—KRISTIAN TOLONEN (Head of Audience Research, NRK), JOHN CARROLL (Director of Research & Audiences, RAJAR), and Professor GEORGE PETRAKOS—to dissect the methodologies shaping audience measurement across Europe.
Tolonen offered a candid look into electronic measurement’s promises and pitfalls. The benefits? Precise, minute-level data, actionable insights, and an understanding of where listeners engage with radio—exposure, not recall. Yet, challenges remain. Electronic measurement comes at a cost, struggles with niche audience accuracy, and transitioning to it can be, as he put it, “painful.” Still, it’s this rigor that keeps radio among the top four media for ad spend, holding its ground against shifting media trends.
Carroll explored RAJAR’s hybrid methodology—an elegant balance of tradition and technology. From face-to-face diary recruitment to passive data collection via audio-matching apps, their approach captures the essential five: what, when, where, how, and for how long. It’s about maintaining a trusted, single currency, ensuring all stations are measured equally, with digital integration moving steadily forward.
Petrakos brought the conversation home with insights from Greece’s CATI survey, a 25-year endeavor built on transparency, trust, and rigorous methodology. From random number generation to GDPR compliance and metadata auditing, his focus was clear: data must be transparent, reliable, and inspire confidence.
When it comes to audience research, one size does not fit all – or does it? With layered methodologies and a relentless pursuit of accuracy, the industry is finding smarter ways to figure out what we like to listen to.
