AIMC hosts all the current media without exception and from the beginning it has sought to address the specific needs of each. For this reason, the Association will carry out studies and researches of different. In recent years, AIMC has actively taken part in the research on specific sectors such as outdoor advertising, radio, local television or cinema and has pioneered the research in Spain of the most recent media innovation, the internet. In 1996, AIMC began providing the first measurement data pertaining to Internet audience and during the same year conducted the first survey on Internet users. The latter, which was already accomplished more than once, is so far the main source of knowledge of the Internet community in Spain. It is worthy to mention as well the agreement signed with IAB Spain in 2007 with the aim gaining consensus on the market with an Internet measurement system to improve the current situation.
Finally, it should be noted, that Spain is one of the few cases in the World in which the research of a media-product such as the AIMC Marcas is kept under the management of a JIC (model of an organization in which the market detains the ownership of the research system).
EGM
Estudio General de Medios (EGM) was the cornerstone of what is currently AIMC and still remains as its most ambitious study. Through 30,000 interviews annually (25,500 personal “face to face” + 4,500 online), distributed in three waves, with results disclosed in April, July and December, EGM depicts a richer and more complete scenario of media consumption at local and regional levels. Since 2003, all interviews were conducted under a CAPI system that laptops of the tablet type.
In the late 2000, intended for the Radio, EGM expands the sample with telephone interviews (CATI) throughout Spain and, in sequence to an agreement signed in November 2003 with the Catalunya Radio Association, the telephone interviews in this community are increased early in 2004. In total, EGM has now expanded to a sample of 48,000 telephone interviews to achieve 78,000 per year which are a part of EGM Radio and the respective media information granted to the Catalan Community are achieved from a total of 22,000 interviews.
Subsequently, other media also began their own single media sampling expansion with similar characteristics to the radio:
- Newspapers (EGM Prensa, since 2006): extension of 45,000 telephone interviews that sums up 75,000 interviews annually.
- Magazines (EGM Revistas, beginning in 2008): sums up other 24.900 interviews (15,000 personal “face to face” + 9,900 online), achieving in this sense a total of 50,000 interviews per year for this media.
- TV (EGM Television, in the late 2008): increased sampling of 13,000 telephone interviews which jointly represents 43,000 annual interviews.
In November 2007, a major methodological change in EGM was approved during a Special Meeting and since the first stage in 2008, a fusion process of various information files that moulds EGM currently. This evolution of EGM is an alternative that stirs the major complexity comprised in the research (the panorama of the media) with the growing need for “integrating“ information to be engrossed in the individual. It is definitely a solution that merges information achieved from different sources (multi media-mono media), into a single “file” taking full advantage of all “knowledge” available.
On the other hand, since 2024, the streaming/direct internet listening of the main radio stations is obtained directly through the consumption census data collected from the servers of the stations themselves. After a process of refinement, homogenisation and “humanization”, these data are integrated into the EGM, along with the rest of the information that the study provides.
Finally, it should be noted that EGM has been established as the establishment survey in the Spanish market, being used in other peoplemeter for the adjustment of the sampling system.
Control of Peoplemeter System
Since 1993 and throughout the course of each year, the association develops in depth and continuously, ongoing technical audits on Kantar Media (previously Taylor Nelson Sofres AM).audiometric system.
AIMC Marcas
From 2003, AIMC performed a “media-product” type of research which provides extensive information on the consumption of brands and products in relation to the media audience. AIMC Marcas research marks a consolidation of the TGI and the SIMM, which was carried out in Spain and s available to all AIMC members. It reckons on the annual sampling of approximately 10,000 individuals, who were provided an encircling self-administered questionnaire that was collected in parallel stages to the one provided by EGM. The report is annual
The exploitation of the database resulting from the study is a key element for the optimization of the media selection used to reach concrete target audiences very precisely defined.
Technical Audits
Additionally, AIMC audits other researches of their members’ interest.
Other reaserchs and Assignments
In 1998, AIMC took over the study known as Directives, in fact entrepreneurs, managers and professionals and professionals, a compilation of special interest to some members.
In 2008, the research The Child/ Youth Media Audience in Spain was conducted and was based on 4000 interviews with boys and girls from 8 to 13 years focusing on the environment they visit and how their propensity towards classical and traditional media is being formed. Previous editions were held in 2004, 2002 and 1998.
Since 1996, the Association has been doing macro-surveys among internet users on an annual basis, Navegantes en la Red. This research is the largest exhibit available in the Spanish market and is one of the most useful in this line to acknowledge the trendy behavior of the cybernauts in this market. In another activity area, census on Cinema Rooms was developed and also Local Televisions.
Besides this, on a regular basis, AIMC circulates a series of publications such as the Media Framework, a tool for analyzing the evolution of diverse standard of media support, or the report of EGM Universes.
Information and Training
AIMC creates and distributes presentations, papers and documents considered as useful and pertinent such as: The White Book of Digital Audience Measurement, the Audience’s new Niche or Effects of the Analogue blackout on the Audiometric Dashboard, among the most recent editions.
Biannually, AIMC has hosted several International Meetings on Media Research since 1995; all held in Madrid and has organized several detailed and specialized courses in audience research involving a large significant number of teachers.
On the other hand, there are also signed agreements with collages and Advertisements, Information Sciences and Economy Centers all over in Spain. According to academic agreements, pursuant to which AIMC will include information pertaining to EGM in the computerized system of the Center, such information will have a phase sync of a year and will be placed under the care and responsibility of a teacher so that students can perform analysis and also practice with real audience information (relies on the collaboration of ODEC which enables their TOM Micro program).
International Relations
AIMC is a member and has been actively involved in various transnational organizations such as: EMRO, ESOMAR and the I-JIC, and is a member-founder of the latter comprising part of the world’s leading JIC organizations.
This international relations assignment provides a framework for the exchange of experiences which is intrinsic to position our organization at the cutting edge of the sector that defines our scope of action: becoming more and more acquainted with the media consumption in our market.