Just What Is This "Fusion"?
Contents
In Nielsen's "NTI+Online" fusion, our data on the television panel appears as though we have information not only on how each person uses television, but also on how that person uses the Internet. But it's not quite that simple in reality.
We talk more about how data is used together when it comes from different directions at this page: Fusion and Other Ways to Mix Data.
The technically-minded will want more explanation on the actual process of how Nielsen combines its TV and online data in their fusion. Let's let Nielsen itself explain just what this fusion is all about with this excerpt:
The Nielsen TV/Internet data fusion file integrates respondent-level data collected electronically from two of the industry's leading sources of media currency.
Nielsen's National People Meter audience estimates reflect minute-by-minute in-home viewing for all national program sources among a representative sample of approximately [78,000 persons as of 2014].
Nielsen Online's Internet panel tracks online behavior at home and at work from a [separate] sample of [thousands of persons]... Each respondent's detailed internet use is captured ...
Data integration is accomplished through an advanced fusion process, which identifies the Nielsen Online respondent who, across all the fusion variables, best matches a given Nielsen TV respondent.
Fusion Linking Variables
Once that match is identified, the internet usage from the Nielsen Online donor is "fused" to the TV viewing of the Nielsen Media host. The resulting file provides an unparalleled view of the interaction between TV and the Internet.
Source: The Nielsen Company, TV/Internet Convergence Measurement |