Change in AMPS adult universe
The latest AMPS data (2009AB), due for release on Wednesday, 31 March 2010, has adjusted downwards the definition of adult to 15 years and older, the first change in the definition of the adult universe since its inception in 1975.
This puts South Africa in line with the rest of Africa and the world where 15+ seems to be the generally accepted definition for adults. In addition, from a marketing perspective, teens are growing up much faster than 40 years ago and have a much greater influence on purchasing decisions in their homes.
Impact of change
The biggest impact of this change in the currency is that a sample of approximately 580 15-year-olds will become part of the new adult AMPS database, equating to a population of 975 000 in the AMPS universe.
While this will potentially increase the adult reach of all traditional media measured on AMPS, the effect on the penetration is negligible.
Although the data for 15+ and 16+ is virtually identical, it is still necessary that refinements be made from time to time to keep the surveys current and to ensure that reality is always closely reflected.
