Nielsen Audio launchea its mobile survey (mSurvey) this Spring, introducing a smartphone-based electronic option for respondents to log radio listening as part of the ongoing modernization of its diary-based audience measurement system.
The new tool debuted with the Spring 2026 survey period and complements the traditional paper diary by making reporting more intuitive and accessible on mobile devices. It aims to increase participation, improve data accuracy and cleanliness, speed up collection, and enhance representation—particularly among younger audiences—in more than 150 local U.S. markets.
Nielsen Audio Managing Director Rich Tunkel highlighted the launch in the Radio Advertising Bureau's latest "Radio Matters" blog, calling mSurvey "the latest piece of a multi-year transformation plan designed to make our measurement more resilient and ensure the radio audience is represented more robustly."
He noted that the initiative culminates years of preparatory work and builds directly on prior steps to boost respondent engagement and sample balance.
Key foundational initiatives since 2024 include:
After over three years of testing and refinement, mSurvey serves as the digital version of the one-week diary, accessible on any mobile device. While paper diaries remain the primary method for most respondents, mSurvey better aligns with modern habits for easier, more precise logging.
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| Rich Tunkel |
- eScreener: A digital tool for collecting household demographics and contacts, which eased recruitment of hard-to-reach, digitally inclined groups and created a more balanced sample from the start.
- Digital incentives: Added alongside mailed cash/checks, with redeemable rewards at major retailers and payment platforms. These appealed strongly to younger listeners, achieving a 94% redemption rate in initial rollout.
- Targeted reselects: Re-inviting past-participant households with 18-34 members, yielding a 14-point increase in 18-34 sample proportionality in one season; the program continues for sustained youth representation.
- 100% address-based sampling (fall 2024): Replaced phone-based recruiting—which skewed older (55+)—with physical addresses for more accurate reflection of local market demographics.
Initially, mSurvey will comprise about 10% of the total diary sample, with ongoing testing planned to refine and potentially expand it. The core goal: boost proportionality (especially for younger respondents) without compromising the reliable, robust data clients expect.
Tunkel summarized the broader effort: "This entire transformation has been about one thing: giving you a more representative and modern look at your audience. We’ve done the heavy lifting to ensure the audio diary remains the robust, reliable currency your business depends on. Get ready for a new era of radio measurement this spring."