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Fall 2025 Nielsen Plans To Roll Out Digital Diaries
NIELSEN is transitioning from paper diaries to an all-digital system for measuring radio audiences, with a full rollout planned for FALL 2025. The new approach to audio diary surveys was revealed in a recent webinar (8/22).
The goal is to replace paper diaries with mSurveys by FALL 2025. These mSurveys will record all radio listening over seven days, fully digitizing the data collection process. This change is expected to enhance the accuracy of radio audience measurements and better reflect demographic diversity.
The shift began in JANUARY 2023 with the introduction of eScreeners, an online tool replacing traditional paper screeners. The eScreener aim was to increase participation among harder-to-reach demographics, such as younger people, Black communities, and renters.
NIELSEN has also introduced digital incentives like eGIFT CARDS and payments through platforms such as VENMO and PAYPAL. These incentives have resulted in a 94% redemption rate, meaning most participants successfully claimed their rewards after completing the survey.
This transition to replace paper diaries reduces NIELSEN’s reliance on the U.S. POSTAL SERVICE and streamlines the survey process. A key part of the shift involves moving to Address-Based Sampling (ABS), where participants are selected based on physical addresses. This method, set to begin with the FALL 2024 book, allows NIELSEN to reach a broader and more representative sample of the U.S. population, reducing the need for older methods like phone sampling.