Optimedia US Releases Content Power Ratings 3.0; Comprehensive Metrics System Evaluates TV Show Performance Across Three Screens

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - May 13, 2010) -  As the advertising industry enters the television Upfronts, leading media buying and strategy agency Optimedia US (www.optimedia-us.com) today unveiled findings from Content Power Ratings 3.0, its third annual report that ranks network and cable programs across TV, Web and mobile platforms. A proprietary media metrics system, Content Power Ratings goes beyond traditional audience ratings to measure a show's true commercial value and footprint. It factors in total cross-platform audience size, advocacy and involvement -- providing the industry's only TV ranking system across three screens.

New to the study this year are two additional streams: Facebook fan count and Nielsen BuzzMetrics, both of which quantify unique aspects of digital activity: the number of "friends" TV shows have on Facebook, and the sentiment of conversations on blogs and chatrooms related to those shows. Fox's House leads with the most Facebook fans, while ABC's Lost takes the top spot for BuzzMetrics online sentiment.

"As viewers' habits shift, current TV metrics systems do not take into account the importance of engagement and audience participation," said Greg Kahn, EVP, Business Development Director for Optimedia US. "Shows such as Glee and True Blood benefit from higher viewer involvement -- whether on Facebook or Twitter -- and therefore help to generate greater audience value than their TV ratings alone would suggest."

Key findings of Content Power Ratings 3.0 include:

• Fox's American Idol continues to dominate as the highest-ranking show across all three screens
• Also on Fox, Glee (#9) is the top newcomer to the list, boosted by its effective marketing and distribution platform
• The comedy genre performed well, with shows like Family Guy, Two and a Half Men, Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother, and The Big Bang Theory making the top 25 
• Of shows currently "on the bubble," Heroes (#11), Chuck (#25) and V (#37) ranked highly, while Rules of Engagement (#128), Melrose Place (#140) and Gary Unmarried (#154) underperformed
• Premium cable shows, including HBO's True Blood (#1 in cable and making its debut to the top 25 primetime performers list at #18) and Showtime's Dexter (#2 in cable), benefitted from fan advocacy and involvement
• In late night TV, the well-publicized feud between Jay Leno (#2 in late night) and Conan O'Brien (#4 in late night) was won by Leno

"The Content Power Ratings system allows us to evaluate shows on their 'star power.' Brands want to be associated with programs that have both high involvement and are relevant to consumers," said Optimedia US CEO Antony Young. "Content Power Ratings quantifies this for our planning and buying teams." 

Methodology
Using data culled from the agency's own primary research, as well as from Nielsen Media Research's NTI database, Nielsen Online Video Census, Nielsen Mobile, comScore's Media Metrix, Facebook, Nielsen's BuzzMetrics, E-Poll's FastTrack™ Television, Google Trends, and Dow Jones Factiva, Optimedia's Content Power Ratings value programs using three key criteria:

• Audience Delivery - including average audience impressions across TV, Web and Mobile platforms
• Involvement - overall awareness of and loyalty to program; including index of Google search volume and effort made to watch the show
• Advocacy - overall levels of conversation and PR activity -- including press mentions, recommendations and general "buzz," in addition to personal recommendations

Content Power Ratings 3.0 Ranking

Top 25 Primetime Shows

Top 5 Late Night Shows

For more information, please contact:
Alysha Walker
DiGennaro Communications
alysha@digennarony.com
(212) 966-9525

About Optimedia US
Optimedia US (www.optimedia-us.com) is a media agency that specializes in strategy and digital integration. Its proposition is strategy, brilliantly executed. With offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas, and Indianapolis, Optimedia works with some amazing brands such as T-Mobile, L'Oréal, Diesel, Armani, Garnier, Maybelline NY, Cartier, Kitchen-Aid, Ambien CR, Denny's, Citizen Watches and Mont Blanc. Optimedia is owned by Publicis Groupe, the largest media agency services group in the US. It is part of the ZO Worldwide Network and VivaKi division of Publicis Groupe. 

About VivaKi
 VivaKi is part of Publicis Groupe (Euronext Paris: FR0000130577) the world's third largest communications group, the world's second largest media counsel and buying group, and the first global network in digital and healthcare communications. With activities spanning 104 countries on five continents, the Groupe employs approximately 45,000 professionals. VivaKi aggregates the marketplace influence of five autonomous brands, including two global media agencies: ZenithOptimedia and Starcom MediaVest Group; two leading digital marketing agencies: Digitas and Razorfish; and a premiere futures practice: Denuo. On behalf of its agency brands and their clients, VivaKi faces the market to help identify and build technology, message distribution, audience aggregation and content solutions for the future. Sitting at the core of VivaKi is the VivaKi Nerve Center, which serves as a think tank, R&D center and testing ground to activate new pathways for clients to connect with consumers in an increasingly digital world. VivaKi also includes a Talent & Transformation Practice, which leverages the scale of the VivaKi brands to develop and deliver tools and approaches designed to attract, develop, train, motivate and reward the world's best people.

Website:  www.vivaki.com