GENERATIONS: NOT SO CUT AND DRY

For advertisers, age cohorts have long been one of the most basic, easily definable demographics to target.  But what do you do when a Gen Zer feels like a Millennial? A recent study by YouGov shows that the generation you are doesn’t always align with the generation you relate to.  Just 29% of Gen Zers surveyed identify with that group; 22% feel like they have more in common with Millennials.  Six percent feel like Baby Boomers; 4% say the Silent Generation; and for some reason, 7% identify with the Greatest Generation.  The study also showed that as age, comfort with our “actual” generation increases, but this raises a lot of questions—and opportunities—for marketers trying to reach younger consumers.  (Marketing Charts: Mar 28, 2024)

NCAA RATINGS REBOUND

Their brackets may already be busted, but viewers have been turning out in droves for this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.  The Elite Eight game pitting NC State against Duke delivered the largest  Easter Sunday audience for any broadcast on any network in more than a decade.  The game before that, Purdue v. Tennessee, was the most-viewed early regional final in five years.  March was also mad for coverage of the Women’s Tournament, with the Iowa/LSU rematch (okay, it was in April) drawing more viewers than any women’s basketball game in history—beating the previous record, set in the late 1900s.  It was 1983, but it’s more dramatic to say it that way.  (TVNewsCheck, Apr 2, 2024; MediaPost, Apr 3, 2024)

NIELSEN REASSERTS ITSELF

In the wake of Comscore’s recent MRC accreditation, Nielsen has put renewed focus on its ability to augment its traditional panel-based reporting with big data in an effort to overshadow its upstart competitors.  Nielsen intends to recommend this hybrid currency in September, just in time for the new TV season.  Agencies have been wary of a complete changeover to this new metric, so the non-panel figures will be primarily used as “impact data”—separate from Nielsen ratings and a tool for planning and analysis.  This isn’t the panacea everyone is hoping for (and which may not exist), but it’s a pretty big step. (AdExchanger, Apr 3, 2024)

BIDEN GOES LOCAL

With President Biden and Former President Donald Trump seemingly neck-and-neck in the Presidential race, every vote in every state will be important. To connect with voters more directly, Biden has increased his use of local media—both in paid advertising and interviews with local news stations.  The Biden campaign believes this gives him an advantage over Trump, whose busy legal schedule doesn’t allow him the time to do more than rallies in these states, relegating most of his media appearances to national outlets.  (The Hill, Mar 28, 2024)

THIS WEEK IN VIDEO HISTORY

April 2, 1978 – The first episode of Dallas premieres on CBS.  It started as a five-episode miniseries and was a ratings smash, lasting for 14 seasons.  In 2012, TNT launched a revival series, but ratings faltered after the death of star Larry Hagman, and it was canceled after just three seasons.

(Please don’t tell me who shot J.R.  I taped it and still need to watch it.)