AWK: Hello Mr. President, you have chosen Kantar as the operator for the single measurement of audiovisual media audiences in Côte d'Ivoire. Can you explain how the selection process for this operator went
? RB: We launched a call for expressions of interest last November. Eight companies responded to this call. We shortlisted two companies that perfectly matched our selection criteria: KANTAR and another well-known company with excellent references.
We decided to exclude companies that had been sanctioned by the HACA in the past.
AWK: How did you decide between the two finalists?
RB: The publishers, with the support of a consultant, evaluated the bids and unanimously chose Kantar.
The television channels will now organize themselves more formally into an economic interest group (EIG), in which the advertisers' association will also be represented, in order to be able to take the necessary decisions for the long-term monitoring of unique audience measurement
. They will certainly continue to be supported by a consultant who will be in charge of project management assistance and will advise them over time.
AWK: I suppose a number of things also need to be specified, such as how the information will be collected, the size of the sample, the frequency of publication, etc.
RB: In fact, all of that has already been decided: the survey will be conducted in monthly waves among 4,500 people representative of the Ivorian population, and the interviews will be conducted face-to-face in the respondents' homes. At this stage, we have ruled out the telephone methodology because we consider it unreasonable for a questionnaire that will take about 30 minutes to complete. However, we may reconsider this issue at a later date. In addition, the results will be published on a monthly basis.
AWK: What are the next deadlines?
RB: We are currently finalizing the contract with Kantar and discussions are underway with publishers to finalize the questionnaire. Two months after the contract is signed, we should have the first results published.
AWK: How will the study be financed
? RB: The government has committed to financing the single audience measurement for a period of three years. It has already been decided that advertisers and agencies will be able to subscribe to the results, but we have not yet set the subscription price.
In principle, Kantar will not be marketing the study. They will be paid to carry out the study. The sales revenue will certainly be held by the GIE, which will be able to build up a nest egg for possible future developments.
AWK: How was your decision received by the advertising market?
RB: There has been no official reaction from the advertisers' association or the agencies, but they are following it very closely and I would say that everyone is satisfied. The HACA's achievement has been to obtain the unanimous support of publishers. We tried to put publishers in the best possible position to freely choose the operator for measuring unique audiences.
Interview with Mr. René Bourgoin, President of the High Authority for Audiovisual Communication in Côte d'Ivoire (HACA)
