The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the complexities of audience measurement and ad intel in Africa.
Africa’s digital transformation is gathering pace, with the continent’s internet penetration and smartphone usage growing rapidly. It has joined the league of mature global markets where advertising income can be generated from both traditional TV advertising and online ads.
Despite the continuous penetration of internet connectivity in Africa, traditional communication media (radio and TV) remain reliable means of communication. As a result, advertisers face some challenges. One is how best to measure audiences in a market where television viewing habits are changing rapidly and the other being what kind of data they need to know when they buy ads in Africa.
There are lots of opportunities in Africa and the African continent. As the most youthful region in the world, Africa has a huge potential with many unexploited markets and untapped audiences. This is one you might not find in other parts of the world.
The digital marketing industry in Africa is still emerging. As a result, there are many unknowns about which tools to use for what purpose. That’s why we’ve written this article – to give you the knowledge you need to make educated decisions on your advertising campaigns.
Audience measurement in Africa
Audience Measurement is a tracker dashboard that enables media companies with data to view Radio & TV share. It also allows them to gauge ad spending for better ROI, and plan future marketing campaigns.
It is a self-serve solution that enables media stakeholders to track and manage real-time audience profiling data to make more informed business decisions.
There are a number of ways to measure audiences in Africa. The most common method is through surveys, which can be conducted online, by phone, or in person.
Audience measurement helps you to;
- Understand your market share based on a range of criteria including; location, time & date.
- Drill down your audience into demographics like location, age, race & ethnicity, income, language, work, views & interests, etc.
- Get real-time intelligence data on your preferred time frame (weekly, monthly, quarterly)
- Be certain on what station(s) to invest your ads budget.
This data can give insights into what people are talking about, what they’re interested in, and how they feel about various topics. They also help you plan valuable marketing campaigns for your brand. Countries like Ghana and Nigeria have started enjoying the dividends of Audience measurement in Africa.
AD intel in Africa
Ad intel in Africa is a topic that people often overlook but is crucial for understanding the African market. It provides insights into how Africans are consuming media, what type of content they are engaging with, and what advertising messages are resonating with them. This information is invaluable for advertisers who want to reach African consumers effectively.
Unlike audience measurement, which typically involves surveying individuals about their media consumption habits, Ad intel involves analyzing actual data from media platforms and publishers about marketing campaigns. This is why it is also called Commercial monitoring. This data includes things like which advertisements were aired, what type of content was consumed, and how long people spent engaging with it.
Ad intel is used to;
- Track Ads for Performance Data.
- Generate and analyze Ad performance reports
- Verify scheduled transmissions of ads according to contracts with radio and tv stations.
- Automate broadcast monitoring of advertising and playout verification as a service for advertising agencies and brands.
- Eliminate the pain of manually listening to the Radio or Watching TV to verify advertisements.
- Maximize gains and overall efficiency by building quick & precise reports in real-time or offline depending on your requirements.
Additionally, one can use ad intelligence to target specific audiences, while audience measurement is used to understand general trends. Advertisers can use ad intel to find out what groups of people are likely to respond positively (or not) to specific ads. They can then use this information to tailor future campaigns specifically for those groups.
What are the differences between audience measurement and ad intel in Africa?
Ad Intel and Audience Measurement are two very important tools in the African media landscape. Ad Intel provides insights into media consumption patterns and behaviours, while Audience Measurement provides data on how audiences interact with media content.
Both Ad Intel and Audience Measurement have their own unique benefits that can help media organizations better understand their audiences and make more informed decisions about their content strategy. Here are some of the key differences between these two tools:
- Ad intel is a tool that helps you understand what people are saying about your brand. It can be used to track conversations, identify influencers, and measure sentiment.
- Ad Intel is primarily used for research purposes. It can be a valuable tool for understanding how people perceive your brand and what they think of your advertising campaigns.
- Audience Measurement provides data on how people interact with media content. It can be used to track viewership, engagement, and demographics.
- Audience Measurement is primarily used for decision-making. It can be a valuable tool for understanding which content is resonating with your audience and what kind of impact it is having.
Which one is better?
There are many ways to measure an audience, but two of the most common methods are measurement and ad intel. Each has its own peculiarities as we have identified above.
Audience measurement is a process of collecting data about a target audience in order to better understand their needs and wants. This data can be used to create more targeted advertising campaigns that are more likely to resonate with the audience.
Ad intel, on the other hand, is a technique to measure the impact of the ad campaigns. The campaign can be a product of the insights gathered from audience measurement. Furthermore, it uses artificial intelligence to let advertisers know whether their campaigns aired on the expected channel(s) at the scheduled time. Ad Intel can also help you to gain insight into an advertiser’s competitors’ strategies and tactics in the same way. With this information, you can create more effective advertising campaigns that will put your company ahead of the competition.
So, which one is better? The answer depends on your needs and objectives. However, combining both puts you at the advantage of being in possession of complete insights necessary to increase your campaign’s effectiveness and ROI.
Conclusion
It is clear that audience measurement and ad intel are both important factors to consider when doing business in Africa.
Factors like demographics, media consumption habits, and brand awareness are necessary attributes for success in audience measurement and ad intel in Africa. Therefore, if you are looking to make the most informed decisions about your target market in Africa, you would have to use reliable trackers to gather the necessary insights.
Survey54’s trackers make the gathering of audience measurement and ad intel insights seamless. It is a Self-serve, easy to use, dashboard with real-time audience profiling data. It enables media stakeholders to track and manage real-time audience profiling data to make more informed business decisions. Our team designed the tracker to meet the needs of African businesses and help satisfy African media audiences. Contact us to book a demo.