NPR Audience Segmentation and Growth Opportunities September 2010

NPR Audience Segmentation and Growth Opportunities

September 2010

Study Context

Source Broadcast: Arbitron Nationwide/Act 1, Persons 25+, NPR Stations and US Total Mon-Sun 6a-Midnight, Spring 2009 Source Online: Nielsen Online, May 2010. Population estimates are of “Active Users,” who are people who have used the Internet in a given time period.

NPR Reach – Broadcast & Online

73%

27%

NPR Stations reach 27% of College Educated 25+

49 Million Opportunity

College Education Less of a Factor Among Diverse Audiences

Percent College Education by Format

News, Talk & Info Stations 63%

Source: National Regional Database/Tapscan, Persons 12+ and P12+ College Educated, Fall 2009, Monday – Sunday 6a-Midnight; PPM Analysis Tool for Ethnicity percentages. *** Sample too small to measure

% Hold 4-Year College Degree

Source: Arbitron Data; AudiGraphics Spring data; major markets only. US Census and American Community Survey for US Median Age

Median Age Public Radio News Stations vs. US

(Major Market Stations)

Public Radio News Audience Aging

35 35 3637 37

46

46

4951

52

S pring '97 S pring '00 S pring '03 S pring '06 S pring '09

News

US Median

NPR’s New Products Reach Younger Audiences

Radio NPR.orgPodcast

On-DemandNPR News iPhone App

NPR iPad App

Median Age 56 47 33 38 42

Reach 27.1 million weekly listeners

3.5 million weekly unique users

(Nielsen)

4 million weekly downloads

240,000 weekly unique

users

300,000 downloads

since its release

Source: multiple internal and external survey sources

Today’s Media ParadigmAverage 9.4 sources for news/information weekly & 3.8 sources daily

80%

52%

47%

40%

32%

31%

74%

66%

41%

12%

24%

31%

18%

91%Internet/web

TV

Radio

A regular mobile phone

Social networking sites or tools

Print publications

A mobile device or “Smart Phone"

Daily use of media

Receive news/infofrom media daily

Daily Platform Use – Overall and for News/Information

Methodology and Goals

Research Questions• Is there growth potential?

• Who could be part of our future audience?

• How do we grow the audience on all platforms while continuing to serve our core?

• What would attract diverse and younger news and information consumers?

MethodologyThis research was conducted in four key phases:

PHASE 1

PHASE 2

PHASE 3

PHASE 4

Executive and editorial team meetings at NPR to establish project goals

Conference calls with external stakeholders

n=3,710

n=2,010 national sample

n=1,355 market-specific sample across 13 key markets

n=345 core listeners from the NPR panel

Median completion time: 42 minutes

Moderated message boards include 3 days of discussion on the role of media, NPR, and NPR programming (including digital properties)

7 key target groups: NPR core listeners, “Lookalikes,” ethnically diverse target audiences, Conservative/Republican target audiences

In-home interviews with members of 3 key audience segments

Total of 13 interviews held over 4 days in San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta, and Philadelphia

Kickoff meetings (November 2009)

Quantitative online survey (March/April 2010)

Online Message Board Forums (April/May 2010)

In-Home Ethnographic Interviews (June 2010)

Who Participated?Survey Screening Criteria

• Ages 18 to 64

• 50 – 50 Male / Female

• Either:

Casual or core NPR consumers

News/information consumers

Non-consumers of NPR open to public radio & interest in at least one NPR topical category

• If no 4-year college degree, place importance on community leadership, education, and/or lifelong learning

Study Findings

The big question

Is there growth potential?

Yes! And it represents a sizeable opportunity. Perhaps more than double existing audience (keeping consistent with our mission).

. . . But who are they?

AwarenessA significant opportunity exists to raise NPR’s profile

12%

18%

41%

13%

16%

Very familiar – NPR fan and/or loyallistener

Familiar – I listen to NPR, not a "fan"

Somewhat familiar –Not terribly familiarwith much of what they do

Know the name only – I’ve heard of NPRbut I haven’t listened or experienced it

Not at all familiar – I don’t know anything

Strong promotionalopportunity!

News/Information Consumers’ Familiarity with NPR

Our current and future audience

Who could our future audience be?

We have identified three categories of listeners

Each with distinct news and information habits and needs.

Team

CaptainsDutiful

Aggregators

Voracious

Voyagers

Our current and future audience

Team

CaptainsDutiful

Aggregators

Voracious

Voyagers

Motivation: Obligation to be

informed

“It’s importantimportant to learn about and understand the

world around me.”

39% = weekly NPR Listeners53% weekly any public radio



Motivation:Leadership

“I want to be informed so that I

can share share informationinformation with

others.”

Motivation: Curiosity

“I have a passion for passion for learninglearning and discovering.”

17

Segments: Deeper LookDutiful Aggregators

(19% of sample)Team Captains(21% of Sample)

Voracious Voyagers(21% of Sample)

• 45% Age 18-34

• 40% non-white

• Even political split

• Avid media consumers

• Overwhelmed - much to know and do

• 39% top news – local TV

• “Education is important to me”; “I don’t believe in absolutes”

• Opportunity: simplifying their chaotic media life

• 50% age 18-34

• 25% non-white

• Liberal and science-minded

• Prone to dive deep

• Technology, culture

• 54% top news – web portal

• Public radio evangelists

• “There are so many things I still have left to do in life”

• Opportunity: love depth; increase listening occasions

• 45% age 45-64

• 37% non-white

• 41% conservative

• Optimistic, self-confident, enthusiastic

• Strong opinions


• “I believe there’s something out there that is bigger than all of us”; “Spending time with my family is important to me”

• Opportunity: balance and headlines

18

Segments: Deeper LookDutiful Aggregators

(19% of sample)Team Captains(21% of Sample)

Voracious Voyagers(21% of Sample)

• 45% Age 18-34

• 40% non-white

• Even political split

• Avid media consumers

• Overwhelmed - much to know and do


• “Education is important to me”; “I don’t believe in absolutes”

• Opportunity: simplify chaotic media life

• 50% age 18-34

• 25% non-white

• Liberal and science-minded

• Prone to dive deep

• Technology, culture

• 54% top news – web portal

• Public radio evangelists

• “There are so many things I still have left to do in life”

• Opportunity: love depth; increase listening occasions

• 45% age 45-64

• 37% non-white

• 41% conservative

• Optimistic, self-confident, enthusiastic

• Strong opinions


• “I believe there’s something out there that is bigger than all of us”; “Spending time with my family is important to me”

• Opportunity: balance and headlines

Dutiful AggregatorsVALUE MOTTO: “I check a variety of news sources. Everybody should be informed.”

Dutiful Aggregators

All pictures on slide are from Dutiful Aggregators’ Ethnographies

Team Captains•Business oriented

•Have enthusiasm for life

•Sense of optimism

•Seen as leaders

•Self-confident

“I’m leading my ideal life”

VALUE MOTTO: “Life is good!” and “cut to the chase”

Voracious Voyagers

“I’m curious about the world around me.”

VALUE MOTTO: “I want to experience that”, “Go hard or go home!”

Universal Life AttitudesBeyond media, the context of consumers’ life attitudes lend remarkable insight: even in today’s economy, audiences are optimistic about their lives.

69%

62%

60%

59%

58%

53%

50%

50%

49%

48%

Spending time with my family is important tome

It’s important to me to make time for fun

There’s something out there that’s bigger thanall of us

There are so many exciting things I still have leftto do in life

I have the freedom to choose who and what Iwant to be

Technology creates new possibilities

Helping others is important to me

Most Americans focus too much on pop cultureand celebrities and not enough on their own

I’m curious about the world around me

My personal and family life is more importantto me than a career

Top 10 News Audience Attitudes - % Strongly Agree

Family

More questions answered

How do we grow the audience, while continuing to serve our core?

In two words…

Increased Accessibility

The Accessibility PrismGrowth Strategy: 3 Pillars of Accessibility

BrandDo they know about us? What do they know? Are we telling potential audiences that NPR is for them?

Content

Are we delivering what they’re looking for?

Physical

Can target listeners access us?

27

The Accessibility PrismCurrent Accessibility Limitations

Brand

ContentPhysical

We’re insightful and intelligent, NPR lacks energy, urgency, balance, and personal relevance. And we take ourselves too seriously at times.

More up-to-the-moment news, frequent updates, and local news. More fun/humor.

Our target audiences are busy; they can’t always fit long form radio into their day. They’d like to consume us online. Behavior isn’t matching intent.

Brand Accessibility

“I hesitated for years [to become] a regular listener. I believed that its programming outlook was very exclusive, highbrow and catered to Ivy League dispositions….. What I found at NPR was well spoken, intelligent and welcoming hosts who instantly made me feel that I was in the right place to learn. My opinion of exclusion, however, is

generally shared when I bring up NPR.”

– Current NPR Listener

“If a robot were a radio it would be NPR.”

-Male, age 35-44,White/Caucasian,

Lookalike

Accessibility

“NPR I feel is mostly foreducated adults from middle

class and up. That is my impression.”-Male, age 25-34, Hispanic/Latino,

Emerging Platform User

56%

51%

50%

50%

48%

46%

45%

45%

44%

42%

Politically-minded people

People who want to learn

Intelligent people

People who are well educated

Culturally-minded people

People in their 50s

Liberals

College graduates

People over 60

People in their 40s

Perception of Who NPR is For

Chart based to those familiar with NPR

“”

“”

Brand Accessibility

Based to those familiar with NPR

Top Positive Perceptions of NPR Top Negative Perceptions of NPR

Which Personalities Speak to Consumer Values?

28%

24%

23%

23%

22%

19%

19%

19%

18%

18%

Tina Fey

Ellen DeGeneres

Queen Latifah

Jon Stewart

Quentin Tarantino

Anderson Cooper

Taylor Swift

Conan O’Brien

Tyler Perry

Rachael Ray

Top 10 Most Relevant Personalities (% Saying “Completely for you”)

“Below are a number of different personalities you might know from TV, radio, print publications, and the web. Please indicate how much each of the following personalities is for you.”

The Messenger Does Matter

Top 10 Across EthnicitiesBlack/African

AmericanHispanic

White/Caucasian

Tyler P erry 61% 21% -Maya Angelou 52% - -Queen L atifah 49% 26% 18%J ennifer Huds on 46% - -S pike L ee 44% - -Tom J oyner 38% - -Quentin Tarantino 32% 31% 19%Anders on C ooper 32% - 17%G eorge L opez 32% 34% -Tina F ey - 32% 28%S hakira - 32% -E llen DeG eneres 31% 27% 23%J on S tewart - 25% 24%C onan O’B rien - 23% 18%Taylor S wift - 22% 20%R achael R ay - - 17%B rian Williams - - 16%

Top Personalities that are “Completely for You”, By Ethnicity

Favored News Personalities

Dutiful Aggregators Team Captains Voracious Voyagers

Which of the following personalities is for you? (of the news personalities)

Anderson Cooper 23%

Brian Williams 19%

Matt Lauer 17%

Soledad O’Brien 15%

Anderson Cooper 22%

Brian Williams 21%

Matt Lauer 20%


Anderson Cooper 22%

Brian Williams 14%

Rachel Maddow 13%


Brand Mass-tige – Not Prestige


If NPR could reflect the qualities of any of these different names below, which would you chose for it to reflect?

Walmart 49%

Target 49%

Discovery 48%

Discovery 60%

Target 52%

Marriott 50%

Discovery 59%

Target 50%

Independent Booksellers 40%

Dutiful Aggregators Team CaptainsDutiful Aggregators

Content Accessibility

“This type of story could be interesting, but the reporter's voice and intonation is soooo affected, upper class, wasp, PhD student-like, it detracts

from the story. She speaks like she is writing a novel, too overly descriptive.”

– NPR Non-Listener

36

Conversational ToneA balance of humor with thoughtful, serious discussion

A program tone that introduces new information while remaining lively, energetic, & enthusiastic

51%

50%

48%

48%

46%

45%

44%

43%

40%

40%

64%

64%

58%

65%

58%

58%

57%

58%

62%

64%Ask good questions

Make you think

Educate you

Introduce you to new things that you wouldnot hear about otherwise

Have a good sense of humor

Make you laugh out loud

Share knowledge and expertise

Are good conversationalists

Are lively and energetic

Keep you entertained

NPR Listenters

NPR Non-listeners

Impact of Potential NPR Personality Traits (% More interested)

Breaking News

65%

55%

54%

52%

44%

39%

29%

27%

26%

26%

Breaking news

News from your city or town

Quick news updates or headlines

National news

News from around the world

Music

Stories about the human experience

Stories about interesting everydaypeople going through extraordinaryHumorous review of the latest news

and newsmakers

Puzzles, games and trivia

% “Very” Interested in Type of Media Programming and Coverage

Urgency without frenzy…

Content & Topic Interest


Content InterestBreaking News 53%

News from your city 48%

Quick news updates 46%

Topic InterestCurrent events 41%

Entertainment 38%

Health and wellness 37%


National News 68%

News from your city 66%

Topic InterestTechnology/gadgets 57%

Current events 57%

Health and wellness 51%


Quick news updates 58%

National news 57%

Topic InterestCurrent events 53%

Technology/gadgets 48%

Science 45%

Dutiful Aggregators

Breadth of Perspective & Balance

35%

31%

23%

22%

20%

The American news media is biased

I turn to news outlets that report all sides of astory

I like to pick and choose the headlines I wantto learn more about, so I prefer to get my news

from the web or a mobile device

A radio station can have credible news evenwhen it also has talk programming that

expresses a clear point of view

A media outlet can have credible news evenwhen it also has talk programming that

expresses a clear point of view

Top 5 Strongly Agree Media Statements

47% of Team Captains strongly agree

“Hearing both sides of the story is very

important.”-Prospective Listener

“”

Physical Accessibility

“The only thing really holding me back is time in the day. I try very hard to get everything I need to get done completed and really don't have much time for anything else. I think NPR would be a good fit for me, but I have

too many other things to do to find time to listen.”

– NPR Non-Listener

One in four core listeners say that NPR is “difficult to fit into their day”.


Internet Replaces TV News

61%

42%

23%

45%

56%

4%

7%

14%

4%

6%

6%

3%

1%

1%

29%18-34

35-49

50+

The internet/web TV A print publication The radio A mobile device

Primary News Source by Age

Tune-In / Visitation Intent by Platform (Q31)

21%

16%

40%

41%

25%

27%

14%

16%

On the radio

Online

On a mobile device

Definitely would turn to NPR regularly Probably would turn to NPR regularly

Probably would not turn to NPR regularly Definitely would not turn to NPR regularly

Tune-In Intent by PlatformConsumers already seek access through multiple

platforms Voracious Voyagers: “online” intent eclipses “radio” intent

“My commute is less than 5 minutes, which is less than the time of a lot of NPR news stories. I don't have a radio in my house, and I don't have internet on my

phone. I guess I've never thought to go to their website - maybe that is something I would do in the future.” – NPR Non-Listener


51%

39%

25%

20%

20%

19%

15%

11%

11%

11%

7%

Facebook

Yahoo! News

Google News

CNN.com

MSN News at MSN.com

ESPN.com

FoxNews.com

Pandora

NYTimes.com

IMDB

NPR.org

Top 10 Web Destinations

(% A few times/week or more)

Excludes Facebook /Twitter. 8% report that they visit NPR social networking pages daily, 4% report that they visit NPR.org daily.

A distribution outlet

45

The Diversity Question

What would attract diverse and younger news and information consumers?

Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me! could it be?

Yes! Awareness & Increase Accessibility

But remember…hearing yourself authentically on-the-air is critical.

Why Does This All Matter?

34%

34%

29%

29%

25%

24%

22%

22%

21%

19%

I’d rather go somewhere else for thelatest news updates

I’m just not familiar enough with NPRto have a reason to listen

I’d rather listen to a radio station thatplays more broadly appealing music

I prefer to listen to more lively andenergetic radio stations

I can get a well-educated point ofview through other sources

I don’t really know where to find NPRprogramming

NPR doesn’t offer the kind of music Ilike to listen to

It’s difficult to fit NPR into my day

I don’t like listening to news on theradio

NPR doesn’t seem relevant to mylifestyle

NPR Tune-In Hurdles (% Major Reason)

Based to NPR casuals and prospects

Don’t Go!

Next Steps

48

Recapping• Growth in audience requires growth in

awareness and familiarity• It also means communicating relevance

and executing on accessibility– Brand– Content– Physical/platform

• Gone are the days of single platform media – but a setback to TV and print news is an opportunity for radio

• Diversity is not a standalone initiative, it is a thread into all operational and promotional efforts

NPR Next Steps

Detailed findings to be shared across public radio community

• At conferences: PRPD, ERPM, WSPR• Webinars: PRPD, DEI, PRNDI • Online: NPR Member Station site• Timing: September – November

NPR Work Integration• Senior leadership and editorial leadership• Internal and external work teams • Action plans across news, digital media, programming,

communications and member & program services

One down.. Tell your friends!

Lori Kaplan, NPR Director Audience Insight & Research [email protected]

Kerry Edelstein, SmithGeiger VP Research [email protected]

September 2010

Documents

NPR Audience Segmentation and Growth Opportunities September 2010