Optimedia US Releases Content Power Ratings 4.0

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - May 12, 2011) - For the fourth year in a row, American Idol has topped the Content Power Ratings report, followed by Glee, which moved into the No. 2 slot, after debuting at No. 9 on last year's rankings.

Optimedia US (www.optimedia-us.com) created the report, which is in its fourth year and based on a proprietary metrics system that goes beyond traditional audience ratings to measure a show's true commercial value and footprint. Content Power Ratings 4.0 factors in total cross-platform audience size, involvement, and advocacy -- providing the industry's only TV ranking system across three screens -- TV, web and mobile.

This year, Optimedia reported a greater impact and influence in the rankings from the growth of social media.

While American Idol (#1) continued to dominate the popular culture across all three screens in 2010, Glee (#2) showed an impressive gain in terms of audience involvement, advocacy and overall search volume. It also has some 13 million Facebook fans and was the show that got the most press mentions in 2010. Dancing with the Stars ranked third, meaning that the top three shows in 2010 in terms of audience delivery, involvement and advocacy across multiple platforms had musical performance as their core offering.

"Content owners and advertisers are becoming increasingly aware of the influence that social media has on television viewing behavior. Content Power Ratings 4.0 is the most comprehensive measurement system in the marketplace today for evaluating the equity of television programs," said Greg Kahn, EVP, Business Development at Optimedia US.

Maureen Bosetti, EVP, Broadcast Buying Director at Optimedia US, said, "Content Power Ratings gives dimension to the content available across multiple screens so we can more effectively place our clients' creative in the right environments. This report enables us to tap into sponsorship opportunities across multiple platforms and amplify our client's message where consumers are most engaged."

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, comScore's Media Metrix, Video Metrix and Mobile Metrix, Facebook, Klout, Twitalyzer, Nielsen's BuzzMetrics, E-Poll's ProgramPulse™, Google Trends, and Dow Jones Factiva, Optimedia's Content Power Ratings values 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

Optimedia US CEO Antony Young said, "Content Power Ratings provides a more relevant and dynamic currency for advertisers who are looking to leverage a TV show's consumer engagement with deeper and customized brand partnerships."

Key findings of Content Power Ratings 4.0 include:

• American Idol (#1) dominated the rankings for the fourth year running.
• South Park (#4) had the highest number of online video views of any prime-time show driven largely by free content made available on SouthParkStudios.com.
  • The wealth of free online content boosts video views for South Park to 10 times the average
• Boardwalk Empire (#21), Hawaii Five-0 (#33), and The Event (#34) were the top newcomers to the list.
• Series that demonstrated the highest year-to-year ranking improvements included The Big Bang Theory (#8), Modern Family (#16), and Vampire Diaries (#29).
• The #1 late night show was Saturday Night Live.

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, Orbitz, YSL Beaute, British Airways, BBC America, Square Enix, FilmDistrict, Denny's and Mont Blanc. Optimedia is owned by Publicis Groupe, the largest media agency services group in the U.S. It is part of the ZO Worldwide Network and VivaKi division of Publicis Groupe.

About VivaKi
VivaKi is part of Publicis Groupe (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