Nielsen Launches Diverse Media Equity Program

NEW YORK, February 11, 2021 /3BL Media/ – Nielsen announces the launch of its Diverse Media Equity program, which is designed to elevate the visibility of diverse-owned media companies with advertisers and agencies. The comprehensive initiative includes measurement of diverse media historically excluded from investment, funding certification fees of diverse-owned media, as well as the launch of the first ever report on diverse-owned media reach and audience profiles.

“Nielsen is investing in diverse-owned media by getting rid of historical barriers in traditional measurement,” said David Kenny, CEO, Nielsen. “Advertisers and the media industry recognize the need to be more inclusive and want to ensure they reach an audience that is increasingly diverse. We are leading the charge to develop a consistent framework and metrics to help demonstrate the value of diverse-owned media.”

In collaboration with P&G, Nielsen also seeds a $130,000 reimbursement program with the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) to help cover the certification fees for diverse-owned media suppliers who qualify. The fund, which will be administered by the NMSDC, will aim to provide nearly 200+ diverse publishers the benefits of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification, frequently required by large companies to qualify for diverse investment.

With the demand for ad time on diverse-owned networks greater than ever, the need for equitable resources and information is more critical for many of these local businesses. Canela Media, a Latina owned media company who is part of Nielsen’s pilot initiative, has tripled the number of campaigns measured with Nielsen since signing on.

“We’re excited about Nielsen’s commitment to bringing more visibility and support to minority owned businesses,” said Isabel Rafferty, Founder & CEO of Canela Media. “Our partnership with Nielsen has enabled us to deliver the granular level of transparency and measurement our clients demand. Nielsen has been a tremendous partner; they understand our business and offer us valuable insight for campaign optimization and advertising efficacy.”

As part of the new initiative, Nielsen releases the Diverse-Owned Media Audience Reach and Profiles report. The report is the first of many to highlight the power of viewership and listenership to diverse-owned media, spotlighting the influence in smaller local markets where Black owned television stations reach as much as 41% of all adults and Black owned radio reaches more than 1.2 million people 12+.

Additional diverse audience profiles add texture showing increasingly intersectional reach with local audiences:

• Hispanic-owned local TV reaches 61% of viewers 18+ in markets ranked 101+ where they are present including 24% of Asian Americans, 33% of Blacks and 39% of Hispanic viewers
• Asian American-owned local TV stations, where they are present, in markets 1-48 reach more than 200,000 adults 18+
• Native American-owned radio reaches nearly 800,000 listeners across the U.S. with listeners spending almost 7 hours a week on average in metros ranked 51-100

“As an industry, we are just beginning to recognize the power and importance of diverse-owned media. That’s why we’re proud to work with Nielsen to create more equitable support systems and continue to explore more inclusive measurements to build greater brand engagement,” says Carlos Santiago, ANA’s Alliance for Inclusive Multicultural Marketing (AIMM) and Oppside Co-Founder. “The report data gives media buyers a view into the impact of diverse-owned media and will facilitate increased investment from media agencies and major advertisers.”

The report findings are powered by Media Framework’s MAVEN Diversity, the most comprehensive and accurate database for diverse media ownership discovery and vendor management, developed and refined for over 10 years.

“Identifying diverse suppliers for opportunities for investment and helping them navigate the complexities of supplier diversity are central to our business and what we are most passionate about”, said Kathleen Coffey, CEO Media Framework. “We are pleased to be part of a powerful collaboration that will drive value for brands and diverse media owners, and embrace efforts to advance investment in diverse-owned media.”

Get more information on the Diverse-owned Media Audience Reach and Profiles report and the Diverse Media Equity program.

About Nielsen

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Patricia Ratulangi
patricia.ratulangi@nielsen.com
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