While ABC’s Lost and NBC’s Heroes have lost some steam in the Nielsen ratings over the past year, they remain two of the most valuable program franchises a marketer can tap into, according to the just released calendar year “content power ratings” (CPR) released by Publicis Group’s Optimedia.
The CPR rankings, which the media shop first launched a little more than a year ago, try to assess the overall value of network and cable TV programs to advertisers by going beyond the Nielsen TV ratings to look at factors such as program environment and viewer involvement, as well as by monitoring chatter on blogs and social networks about programs.
From Mediaweek.

Don’t know if I see the connect between chatter on blogs and social networks with value to advertisers.
I can see it. While advertisers aren’t going to be paying the networks more for it on its own, they can certainly see that if a given show has more audience involvement, it’s probably getting word of mouth advertising – and that show is where the advertisers are likely to get more benefit than a show with equal demo ratings but no “buzz”.
It’s also useful as predictor of what show might be the next hit, which certainly advertisers would be interested in knowing in advance.
Hereos has nothing compared the “chatter on blogs and social networks” about Chuck in the last several weeks. Lost may be the only thing that gets more talk these days.
Don’t buy it. Shows with greater audience involvement are more likely to have people discussing what has just happened on their TV screens than watching ads.
As far as what will be the next big hit, that may have some truth if we’re talking about internet buzz surrounding pilots. After a show airs advertisers will know exactly what the ratings are and what they are paying for. Many shows with internet buzz never see much increase in their ratings.
That may be true, but the article doesn’t say advertisers HAVE to limit themselves to the numbers only. Advertisers can still benefit from gaining a wider view of how a show is doing generally.
The point is that while many shows with buzz may not get better ratings, an advertiser would be a fool not to know WHICH shows are getting buzz and which aren’t in case some DO start to go up.
Shows going up in numbers from season one to season two (at least in regard to their competition in each season) DOES happen. Advertisers need to know which ones in advance and buzz is part of that.
The concept of “Business Intelligence” is about gathering ALL the data and then mining it for clues. This is part of that, not a replacement for actual ratings.
CPR, huh? Looks like NBC could definitely use some resuscitation after this year.
That’s right, I went there.
Well they seem to be behind then if they are calling heroes tops, the buzz I read is its dead and has been so since about the beginning of 09. So next season if an advertiser is going to by into Heroes I would say better make it the sandwich and not the show.
Hurray for Heroes!!! And Fringe plus Family Guy!!
This is why the Subway campaign made an impact for Chuck. It is a measure of the viewers engagement with the show. Greater engagement – personally I think in a show like Chuck where the product placement is well integrated into the show itself it is especially menaingful – means more attention to the advertisers. Advertisers therefore are using not just total viewers but also measuring attention.
@Mike the Canadian: “if they are calling heroes tops, the buzz I read is its dead and has been so since about the beginning of 09″
Wait until it goes Carnivale for Volume 5 in the Fall… even the Heroes die-hards who’ve been defending it to the hilt for three years are quite worried about the direction it’s going to take. But yes, Heroes is on life support and might not make it to the end of Tim Kring’s five year plan for the show.