Illustrative engagement. A representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work in news media. It does not describe a specific client; outcomes are described qualitatively.
Industry overview
What is shaping news media
News publishers and broadcasters are rebuilding trust and revenue through subscriptions, regional coverage and new formats.
- Trust is a competitive advantage
- Subscriptions need a clear value proposition
- Regional news has loyal audiences
Client background
A local news network, working in Tamil Nadu. This is an illustrative engagement: a representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work, not a named client project.
- Organisation
- A local news network
- Sector
- News media
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Business panel, Offline data collection (CATI)
Client challenge
Small businesses advertised less, and the network wanted to know why.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: understanding small advertisers in local news.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of small businesses.
- Uncover the motivations and barriers people do not state in a survey.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 5 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 400 small businesses.
- small businesses400
Audiences we typically reach in news media
Readers and viewersSubscribers and lapsed subscribersRegional audiencesAdvertisersYoung news consumers
Geographic coverage
Coverage: Tamil Nadu. Market: India.
- India
Research methodology
A qualitative design, built to uncover motivations, decision processes and the language people actually use.
- 1Brief
- 2Advertiser interviews
- 3Insight
We interviewed small business owners about advertising budgets, channels and expectations.
Business panelOffline data collection (CATI)
Sampling strategy
- small businesses
- 400
- Business respondents were screened on role, company size and involvement in the decision before being invited.
- Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
- Telephone contacts were dialled from verified lists, with quotas tracked live by the field team.
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- Telephone interviews were run from our CATI centre, with calls monitored for quality.
- The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
Data quality & validation
- Live call monitoring and recording review
- Call-back verification
- Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
- Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
- Review of open-ended answers
- Recordings and transcripts for every session
- Re-screening of qualitative recruits
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
Key findings
- Owners wanted simple packages with measurable responses.
Simplicity sells to small advertisers.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: simplicity sells to small advertisers.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: owners wanted simple packages with measurable responses.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The network launched small business bundles.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: how do young people get news?