Current Saarf Tams Rim Weighting Structure

TAMS RIMS –March 2013

CURRENT SAARF TAMS RIM WEIGHTING STRUCTURE

When the TAMS panel gets RIM weighted, we correct for certain variables on a household level and then for certain variables on an individual level. As it seems that not all TAMS users are aware of which variables are weighted and which are not, SAARF have compiled this document where we will discuss all the individual weighted variables first, as the end user selects individual characteristics for their target market. We will then also list the household weighted variables.

As a reminder we would just like to state that the TAMS universe includes all individuals from the age of 4 upwards that live in a private residential household with mains electricity and a working TV set.

SECTION A - VARIABLES USED IN INDIVIDUAL RIM STRUCTURE:
GENDER
All Male(from the age 4+)
All Female(from the age 4+)
PROVINCE
WESTERN CAPE
NORTHERN CAPE
FREE STATE
EASTERN CAPE
KWA-ZULU NATAL
MPUMALANGA
LIMPOPO
GAUTENG
NORTHWEST
HOME LANGUAGE
Afrikaans/Both
English/Other
Nguni
Sotho
LSM
LSM 1 to 4 as a group
LSM 5
LSM 6
LSM 7
LSM 8
LSM 9
LSM 10
WORK STATUS/WEIGHT OF VIEWING
Homebound (Housewives and Pensioners)
Out and About (Working, Student, Unemployed)
AGE
4 - 6
7 - 10
11 - 14
15 - 24
25 - 34
35 - 49
50-64
65+
COMMUNITY SIZE
Metro
City / Large town
Small Town / Village
Settlement / Rural
SUBSCRIBE TO DSTV
No DSTV
MNET Only
DSTV Premium
DSTV Compact
ACCESS TO DSTV PVR
PVR YES
PVR NO
SUBSCRIBE TO TOP TV
Top TV NO
Top TV YES
Each RIM should add back to the total, thus if all males and females (from age 4 upwards) adds to about 40 million individuals then the total for all 9 provinces should add to the same 40 million and so forth.
Should you as a user for example select ages 4-6 as your target market; you will be working with a fixed universe. If you selected ages 7-10 as a target market you would also be using a fixed universe. Co-incidentally if you select ages 4-10, you are also working with a fixed universe. However should you select ages 3-8, you are now working with a target market that does not match the exact RIM(S). As the universe for this target market is not fixed, it will fluctuate.
Should you select all individuals (age 4+) and LSM 1-4 as a target market, you are working with a fixed universe. However if you select adults LSM 1-4, you are working with a target market that is not fixed and so forth.
Working with a fixed universe will give you more stability in the data.
You can also work with target markets that are not fixed by a RIM(S) when you have a big sample size as that will also give you some stability in the data.
SECTION B - VARIABLES USED IN HOUSEHOLD RIM STRUCTURE:
PROVINCE
WESTERN CAPE TOTAL
NORTHERN CAPE TOTAL
FREE STATE TOTAL
EASTERN CAPE TOTAL
KWANATAL TOTAL
MPUMALANGA TOTAL
LIMPOPO TOTAL
GAUTENG TOTAL
NORTHWEST TOTAL
HOME LANGUAGE
Afrikaans/Both
English/Other
Nguni
Sotho
LSM
LSM 1 to 4 as a group
LSM 5
LSM 6
LSM 7
LSM 8
LSM 9
LSM 10
HOUSEHOLD SIZE
Households with 1 to 3 members in household
Households with 4 to 5 members in household
Households with 6+ members in household
COMMUNITY SIZE
Metro
City / Large town
Small Town / Village
Settlement / Rural
SUBSCRIBE TO DSTV
No DSTV
MNET Only
DSTV Premium
DSTV Compact
ACCESS TO DSTV PVR
PVR YES
PVR NO
SUBSCRIBE TO TOP TV
Top TV NO
Top TV YES

As discussed above, using fixed weighted variables will give the user more stable data.

Other aspects that users should bear in mind when using TAMS data are the following:

·  Make sure you have not eroded your sample size with too many filters. Data on small sample sizes is unstable.

·  Look at the whole picture i.e. even if you are only interested in LSM 8-10, do a run that has LSM 1-4, LSM 5-7 and LSM 8-10 in it. This way you can look at your “target market” in relation to the rest. In fact you might find out that your “true” target market is actually LSM 5-7 and not LSM 8-10.

·  Make sure there were no unusual events like the “World Cup Soccer” in either you source or projected period.

·  Don’t just look at your channels, also look at competing media and other activities

·  Look at extraneous factors like a bad economic downturn

·  Remember Margin of Error

When all is said and done however the TAMS data is available to the end user in an interactive data base and the end user can do any run she/he pleases. Thus the main responsibility of using the data in a responsible way is still the burden of the end user manipulating the data in an interactive electronic data base.

If you are using runs done for you by another person, please bear in mind that at times it is not about being aware of the data, but about being beware of the data base user, as they might be a “data abuser”.

END

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