Nielsen Will Start Spying on Your Facebook Conversations About Television

Don’t be alarmed though. It’s all for a good cause.

Media research firm Nielsen announced on Wednesday its plans to include Facebook conversations about television shows into their rating system intended for the television industry. Currently, the company only monitors Twitter conversations about shows. Twitter has allowed Nielsen to monitor conversations for the past three years, and now Facebook will allow them access even for personal pages that are designated private. The inclusion has prompted a name change for the rating system, now called “Social Content Ratings”.

So, why is Nielsen doing this? No, it’s not to piss off the public.

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Data about what television buzz is happening on social networks is valuable to television networks and advertisers who aim to boost ratings and curate content according to the likes and dislikes of viewers. Plain and simple, the rating system helps industry executes figure out where to spend their money.

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Nielsen’s latest move proves why collecting and interpreting data, consumer or otherwise, is so inherently crucial for business success. It’s no accident that Nielsen is making this change after several years of criticism from television executives about the usefulness of their data. The company has been dealing with an onslaught of complaints about them not accurately measuring the audience for shows, accusing them of failing to keep up with metrics from the latest digital devices, including gaming systems and mobile phones.

The truth is that data, whether it’s used to drive growth at a multinational conglomerate or a small business, is integral to a business’s overall success.

The term Big Data is a buzz word thrown around in the finance world, but make no mistake about it, the trend towards it is real. A 2010 study from the University of Texas found that companies can increase annual sales per employee by 14.4 percent simply by improving the usability of its data by a mere 10 percent.

“The use of Big Data — large pools of data that can be brought together and analyzed to discern patterns and make better decisions — will become the basis of competition and growth for individual firms,” states an Ivey Business Journal article.

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Here are just a few ways that various industries are using Big Data to remain competitive:

Retail: Sensors embedded into products can collect valuable information about how exactly consumers are using the products. Research shows that retail operating margins can increase by 60 percent simply by increasing the use of consumer data.

Sensors embedded into products can collect valuable information about how exactly consumers are using the products. Research shows that retail operating margins can increase by 60 percent simply by increasing the use of consumer data. Pharmaceuticals: Pharmaceutical companies are collecting consumer data about the benefits and risks of drugs once they are widely prescribed rather than relying on the limited data from clinical trials.

Pharmaceutical companies are collecting consumer data about the benefits and risks of drugs once they are widely prescribed rather than relying on the limited data from clinical trials. Manufacturing: Car manufacturers embed sensors into products to determine when they might require maintenance, and then present consumers with attractive after-sales offers to purchase preventative maintenance.

This list is just a taste. There are plenty of other industries that benefit from the collection and analysis of data, whether it be consumer-driven or otherwise.

Nielsen has some big boots to fill. As the emphasis on Big Data becomes a top priority for television executives, they will continue to look to research firms like Nielsen for guidance. Whether Nielsen lives up to industry expectations, remains to be seen.