Changes are afoot, however, as consumers seek out the entertainment option that makes the most sense for them. The number of homes subscribing to wired cable has decreased 4.1 percent in the past year at the same time that telephone company-provided and satellite TV have seen increases of 21.1 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively.

Broadcast-Only/Broadband Homes in Focus
Though less than 5 percent of TV households, homes with broadband Internet and free, broadcast TV are on the rise—growing 22.8 percent over last year. These households are also found to exhibit interesting video behaviors: they stream video twice as much as the general population and watch half as much TV.

Whether they’re cord-cutters or former broadcast-only homes that upgraded to Internet service, these homes represent a very small but growing group of U.S. consumers. Interestingly, roughly the same percentage of consumers in broadcast-only/broadband homes watch traditional TV, stream or use the Internet as in all cross-platform homes; the difference between these groups falls to time spent on these activities. Even broadcast-only/broadband homes spend the majority of their video time watching traditional TV: 122.6 minutes, compared to 11.2 for streaming on average each day.

The commercials joining the ranks of the Nielsen Top 10 Most-Remembered and Best-Liked Ads came from familiar brands that also were able to generate a large share of Super Bowl advertising buzz before and during the game. According to NM Incite, a Nielsen/McKinsey company, Pepsi had the most buzz among Super Bowl advertisers on game day; Coca-Cola, M&M’s, and Doritos also followed with a significant share of social media discussion.

The most-liked ads spanned a variety of categories, including food and beverage, financial services, and auto. Excluding Chrysler’s ad featuring Clint Eastwood, which touched on pushing through tough economic times, all of the most liked ads included humor.

Nielsen Measures & Methodology:

Source: Nielsen, 2/7/12

The Recall score is the percentage of viewers who can Recall the brand of an ad they were exposed to during the normal course of viewing the Super Bowl. These scores are then indexed against the average score for all Super Bowl ads (Recall Index). 100 equals average. For example, with a Recall Index of 177, the Doritos “Sling Baby” ad was 77% better-recalled than the average Super Bowl spot.

The Likeability score is the percentage of viewers who report to like “a lot” an ad they were exposed to during the normal course of viewing the Super Bowl, among those recalling the brand of the ad. These scores are then indexed against the average score for all Super Bowl ads (Likeability Index). 100 equals average. For example, with a Likeability Index of 190, the Doritos “Sling Baby” ad was almost twice as liked compared to the average Super Bowl spot.

Notes: The Top 10 lists are based on 11,873 surveys of Super Bowl viewers; 62 unique national creative executions (excluding Movie spots) during Q1-4 and Halftime were considered for the list.

Of the 144 brands that have advertised during the Super Bowl over the past five years, only a handful of companies have had a presence in every one. From 2007-2011, these seven have earn honorable mentions for being the most resilient Super Bowl advertisers—Budweiser, CareerBuilder, Coca-Cola, Doritos, E*Trade, GoDaddy.com, and the NFL—and five also hold the distinction of being among the ten best liked Super Bowl ads of the past five years.

Only ad executions during Super Bowl airings from 2007-2011 considered. The Likeability Score is the percentage of TV viewers who report to like “a lot” an ad they were exposed to during the normal course of viewing TV (among those recalling the brand of the ad). These scores are then indexed against the mean score for all new ads during the period (Likeability Index). 100 equals average.

For example, with a Likeability index of 179 the top ranked NFL ad has proven to be 79 percent better-liked than the average Super Bowl commercial during the past four-week period.

Source: Nielsen

Cost of an Ad
The Super Bowl investment is economically resilient, remaining relatively stable despite fluctuations in the primetime average—and rising consistently over the past five years despite a rocky economy.

Big Spenders: Automotive Makes a Comeback
2011 was the year of the auto comeback. Spending on automotive ads far surpassed other categories and more than doubled versus previous years. Nine different auto brands took center field in the commercial breaks, versus an average of two to four brands in years prior. Creative quality also improved in 2011, with an unprecedented four auto spots making Nielsen’s annual Most-Liked list. Chevrolet’s “Wild Ride” garnered the distinction of being the most watched ad of all time, with an estimated 119,628,000 viewers watching its Super Bowl airing. This year, Chevy is breaking ground again with the Game Time app, which will leverage consumers’ simultaneous cross-screen behavior and reinforce branding from traditional TV advertisements.

Top Five Super Bowl Advertising Categories (2007-2011)
Year Over Year Spend Breakdown (in millions)

Other Spend Trends

• Beer: Bud Light and Budweiser have dominated the turf when if comes to Super Bowl beer advertising over the past five years. Consumers have come to expect the fleet of creatives, including the iconic Clydesdale ads. In 2010 and 2011, other brands like Michelob and Stella Artois came to play. What can viewers expect this year?
• Motion Picture: Movies have a strong presence in Super Bowl ad lineup, as studios capitalize on the massive audience to parade their best bets for the year. From 2008-2011, at least one of the top five highest grossing films had a slot in the Super Bowl line up. Motion picture ads increased after 2008 and have had a consistently strong presence during the game since, reaching ten ads in last year’s game.
• Regular Soft Drink: While fewer Soft Drink ads have traditionally aired during the Super Bowl compared to other categories, they make an impact by creating minute-long spots.
• Tortilla Chips: Tortilla Chips have emerged as a highly anticipated category of ads, led by the fan created ads. Last year, three Doritos ads made Nielsen’s Most Liked and Most Remembered list.

Download a historic look at State of the Union ratings and viewership.

TV sports advertising is dominated by a few big spenders, with the top 10 — led by AT&T, Bud Light, Verizon Wireless, McDonald’s and DIRECTV—accounting for roughly a quarter (26%) of the total spend during that time period.

The increase in TV ad spend mirrors a similar increase in the amount of live TV sports content available on TV and cable. There were more than 42,500 hours of live sporting events on national broadcast and cable TV in 2011, a five percent increase over 2010.

• For more insights on sports and media, download Nielsen’s State of the Media: Year in Sports.

Seattle’s KOMO station earned an incremental reach—unduplicated audience—of 2.9 percent from their website for persons 18 and older, amounting to 10 percent of the total combined reach for the station’s late news at 11 o’clock Monday through Friday. The website contributes even more for persons 18-34, boasting a 3.9 percent incremental reach that accounts for nearly a quarter (23%) of the total combined reach.

For Portland’s KATU-TV, KATU.com added 2.8 percent incremental reach to the 28.1 percent reach of the late news. For KATU, ages 25-54 saw the biggest lift thanks to KATU.com with a 4.6 percent reach. The website contributed 14 percent of the combined newscast and website reach for persons 25-54.

Pinpointing the notable differences in demographic composition between website users and newscast viewers helps stations value their inventory, while helping advertisers choose the most efficient vehicle to reach their intended audiences. Both KOMO.com and KATU.com attract significantly different audiences than their TV station counterparts. For example, the KOMO late news audience is 29 percent male, compared to 53 percent for komonews.com. Nearly one-third (31%) of the Komo late news audience and one-quarter (24%) of the komonews.com audience has a household income of $100,000+.

Download the full case study at nielsen.com.

About Fisher Communications
Fisher Communications (FSCI) is an innovative local media company with television, radio, internet and mobile operations throughout the western United States. Fisher operates 18 television stations, which include network affiliations with ABC, CBS, FOX, Univision and The CW that reach 3.5% of U.S. television households, and three radio stations targeting a full range of audience demographics. Fisher Interactive produces more than 120 local and hyper-local websites and delivers comprehensive multiplatform advertising solutions to local businesses. The Company is headquartered at Fisher Plaza in Seattle, WA. More information about Fisher Communications, Inc. is available at www.fsci.com.

Android continues to hold the lead among all smartphone users, with 46.3 percent of all smartphone owners surveyed in Q42011 reporting they have an Android-based mobile phone.

As of Q42011, 46 percent of US mobile consumers had smartphones, and that figure is growing quickly. In fact, 60 percent of those who said they got a new device within the last three months chose a smartphone over a feature phone.

For more, check out Nielsen’s Mobile Media Report.

Just a few years ago, a major bank predicted that Indonesians would, on average, earn US$3,000 per capita by 2020. At the beginning of 2011, Indonesia hit that mark, beating the prediction by nearly a decade. While other countries in the region and around the globe have been affected by significant economic uncertainty, Indonesia’s economy is running at full bore, with a rapidly expanding middle class that is now the third-largest in the world. At 48 percent of the population and accounting for 44 percent of all FMCG spending in the country, middle class consumers are shaping today’s retail scene. Recently, during its 35^th Annual Marketing and Media Presentation in Jakarta, Nielsen provided nearly 1,000 clients and stakeholders with a snapshot of what Indonesia’s middle class is doing in terms of media usage and shopping patterns, and how companies can reach them effectively.

While all income groups have benefited from Indonesia’s accelerated growth, the middle class has enjoyed the most rapid advances in terms of spending increases and quality of life improvement, and increased demand in a range of consumer categories from home electronics and appliances to health and beauty products. The Indonesian middle class prefers to combine the convenience and fresh offerings found through traditional retail channels such as wet markets with the price-savings and expansive product offerings of the modern trade.

What are middle class Indonesians buying?
Some key facts about middle class shopping trends that retailers and manufacturers need to consider include:

• Fresh food makes up 37 percent of their monthly spending. Ice cream, noodles, and biscuits are the biggest movers thanks to product innovations.
• Value for money is key for nearly all (97%) middle class shoppers.
• 88 percent of middle class consumers said they want to experiment with brands.
• More than half (53%) shop in a modern trade outlet twice a month.
• They tend to visit the minimarket closest to their home, but promotions can disrupt their regular routine: 90 percent are looking for stores “with attractive and interesting promotions.” They also desire a diverse assortment of goods, friendly service and a comfortable environment.
• Mini-markets see the highest levels of spending, followed by supermarkets, with traditional retailers still highly important for fresh foods and the location convenience they offer.

What are middle class Indonesians watching?
Indonesians of all income levels love to watch TV, and nearly all (95%) middle class homes own a TV, with 96 percent watching programs every day. Other traditional media such as radio and newspapers are also popular, but are increasingly being consumed online, a trend driven primarily by Indonesian youth.  Internet usage and mobile phone ownership are surging, each increasing every quarter. Mobile penetration is already high, and purchase intent for smartphones is strong. These devices are fast becoming the primary platform for a variety of activities, such as watching video, accessing the Internet and connecting to social networks, opening a space for marketers and content providers to focus their efforts to include mobile in their content distribution. Nevertheless, relevancy and convenience to the consumers remain key to mobile content distribution.

Key media usage trends for middle class Indonesians include:

• Middle class Indonesian households watch an average of 4.5 hours of TV a day. Sports programming is the most popular, followed by drama series and other entertainment genres.
• Local content is appealing to middle class, which is why each city has its own newspaper.
• Almost a quarter (22%) of middle class consumers have Internet access, and spend 1.5 hours a day accessing the internet.
• Nearly three-quarters of middle class consumers in major cities (71%) have a mobile phone, with almost half saying they use the devices to access the Internet. More than one-third (35%) have a smartphone.
• Indonesians love social networking: 94 percent are connected to social networks, and 89 percent have a Facebook account.

Reaching the middle class
Given the abundance of opportunities in the marketplace, how can retailers, manufacturers, marketers and media companies connect with the middle class consumer? In a number of consumer goods categories, innovation has proven to be a growth engine. For example, in the ice cream category, the number of new varieties has surged by nearly 32 percent, with single packs the driver of sales. Volume sales of snack noodles surged 92 percent in the past year, thanks in large part to new flavors and a repositioning of the category (what used to be seen as a basic meal now is a great, convenient snack). The instant coffee market has expanded, and middle class consumers contributed 71 percent of volume growth within that category.  In contrast, categories that presented few innovations saw slower growth.

In addition to innovation, other trends seen among Indonesia’s middle class consumers include:

• Kids playing a role in modern shopping: 95 percent said that they “hardly ever refuse” the invitation from their kids to go to the minimarket.
• Convenience is key: today’s middle class consumers are pressed for time, with the demands of work and family life. Products that make life a bit easier are clear winners.
• Appeal to the fact that they are smart shoppers: Indonesians know how much items cost and where they are located in the store. Retailers must create a welcoming environment, promote value for money and win customers’ loyalty.
• Connect with consumers: they are increasingly online, and they discuss brands and products in that space. Retailers must strive to engage with them on social networks.
• Be relevant: tailor marketing – especially online and mobile campaigns – to consumers and their need-states.

Among tablet and smartphone users who downloaded only free apps in the past month, 33 percent chose games, 20 percent chose social networking and 18 percent chose music. However, app downloaders are willing to shell out money. Consumers who downloaded just paid apps or a combination of free and paid apps invested the most in games (35%), maps/navigation (29%) and music (27%).

For additional insights on consumer electronics and media usage, download Nielsen’s State of the Media: Consumer Usage Report.