SAARF AMPS goes bi-annual again

With the second wave AMPS going to field in the last half of this year, users can look forward to more up-to-date media audience, products and brands data off a far bigger sample. This will be especially welcome for those media whose small sample sizes meant their data was not robust enough for the 6-month release.

SAARF chair Sarel du Plessis says the decision taken almost four years ago to scrap the second wave of SAARF's flagship audience research product was “clearly a mistake”, and was driven by stakeholders' desire to cut the costs involved in producing the survey.

“The industry, however, needs more regular research and a bigger sample for better stability and quality of data,” says du Plessis. “The single AMPS wave clearly did not meet these requirements.”

A new print title could, for example, take up to two years to be released on the AMPS database, as it builds up a robust enough sample size.

Second AMPS wave

The second AMPS wave, although using only an urban sample, will be published on 12-months rolling data, and so will include both urban and rural data from 2007. The current AMPS sample of 12 000 will increase to 21 000 per annum.

“This is a big step in the right direction,” says SAARF's CEO, Dr Paul Haupt. “SAARF stakeholders have already unanimously indicated that a sample of at least 30 000 interviews per annum is required, and we will now be leading the process to work towards two waves of 15 000 interviews each during 2008, bringing the sample up again to a very robust 30 000.”

Du Plessis says SAARF will also work closely with all stakeholders to investigate new methods, which could provide even better quality data at affordable levels during the next year, as the present methodology can now be improved due to the availability of modern technology.