The survey, which analysed the media habits of 5,400 representative UK adults (page 24), becomes more valuable each time new data is released, as it allows planners to analyse trends over time and react accordingly. The plan now is to instigate TouchPoints3 in 2009 before establishing it as a rolling six-monthly survey thereafter.
For this to happen, the media owners and media agencies that fund it will have to commit the necessary funds. Reactions to last week's launch appear positive and some media owners have already accounted for TouchPoints3 in next year's budgets. One client - the COI - has even bought into the survey, and the IPA hopes others may follow. Economies of scale mean it won't end up costing £1.25m a time, but it needs to become as natural as TGI for interrogating data to get buy-in from the relevant parties.
One issue has always been that most agencies have their own media research and planning systems, which they use to distinguish themselves from their competitors. These systems interrogate various chunks of data, TouchPoints being one of those datasets. Rather unhelpfully, ZenithOptimedia has its own survey, also called TouchPoints. At least now, the TouchPoints2 label will distinguish the two pieces of research from each other.
Digital is obviously big news in TouchPoints2 and it offers fascinating insights into podcasts, social networking, internet TV and other new-media developments. But it also emphasises the continuing impact and importance of so-called "traditional" media. With each iteration, TouchPoints gains more currency, and a generation of planners is growing up with a system that could become a de facto standard that will mean better-informed planning and better campaigns for clients.
