Nielsen to offer expanded reader behaviour survey

Malaysia – Publishing companies and marketers may soon have a more in-depth insight into their outreach to reader attitudes thanks to Nielsen Company Malaysia.

Andrea Douglas, executive director, Nielsen Media research signaled the company's plans to examine the reading behaviour of Malaysians and the attitude of affluent consumers towards publications.

Douglas was presenting Nielsen's recent readership survey for the nation's free-sheet newspaper theSun which tracked a 2.9 pass-on readership rate and examined its readers and their lifestyles.

“We might standardise the survey's model and have it sold by subscription but not just for one client. It may be part of the Media Index and will not just look at readership rates.

"It will profile the readers’ behaviour and the attitudes of the affluent category towards publications be it magazines or newspapers,” she said, adding that theSun's survey would be the pilot of the syndicated survey.

Nielsen's survey for theSun took a sample of 888 respondents (a 40% response rate) and conducted a 30 minute questionnaire online.

The Nielsen Media Index survey is a continuous study with results released twice annually.

Douglas said while theSun’s survey did not look into the paper's online readership, there was a growing change in media preferences throughout the country.

She added that because more people are resorting to reading the news online, the company may look into including measurements into websites in their future surveys.