MRUCI revives IRS with phased rollout and enhanced media measurement metrics

Media Research Users Council India (MRUCI) is reviving the Indian Readership Survey (IRS), its flagship readership measurement study, after a six-year gap. Last released in early 2020 before being discontinued during the Covid-19 pandemic, IRS is set to return at a time when the media and advertising industry increasingly needs reliable, contemporary audience measurement to support informed media planning and investment decisions.

The revamped study follows an extensive review of its design and methodology, with a focus on optimising design without compromising rigour and robustness. It features a rationalised sample size and an enhanced design to improve the representation of affluent and super-affluent households. It will also address the evolving media landscape through the planned measurement of digital readership across apps, e-papers, websites and online editions to create India’s largest single-source, cross-media measurement across traditional and digital platforms.

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A key development has been the Technical Committee’s efforts, building on the foundational work undertaken by Inteliphyle, the IRS Research Partner, towards developing a proposed Media Quality and Impact Metric. This initiative reflects the industry’s growing emphasis on evaluating media beyond reach alone. By exploring dimensions such as trust and attention, the proposed approach aims to facilitate a more comprehensive assessment of media effectiveness and value, enabling meaningful cross-media comparisons and analysis for industry stakeholders.

MRUCI has adopted a two-stage approach to the study’s implementation. The first stage will comprise two states including one metro, followed by expansion to the remaining markets. A smaller pre-pilot will test key elements of the study design to assess their robustness. The first-stage report, funded by MRUCI, is expected within six months of the study’s initiation.

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Commenting on the revival, Vikram Sakhuja, Partner and Director, Madison World and Chairman, MRUCI, said, “I couldn’t be more excited in the relaunch of the IRS. The need for credible audience measurement across the length, breadth and depth of India has never been greater. Our reimagined IRS is going to look not only at Media penetration but also its impact. We are rolling this out in 2 stages. And I am confident that the Industry will embrace it as a currency.”

Media industry veteran, Shashidhar Sinha, IRS Technical Committee Chairman, MRUCI, added, “The IRS has been enhanced in its design to reflect the changing media landscape while upholding the rigour and credibility of the survey. We have focused on strengthening the sample design, improving representation and expanding media measurement to deliver more comprehensive and reliable insights for the industry.”

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MRUCI has appointed Inteliphyle as the Research Agency for the study. In consultation with MRUCI’s Technical Committee, Inteliphyle selected the fieldwork agencies following a detailed review of proposals submitted through its Request for Proposal (RFP) process.

The renewed IRS is intended to provide publishers, advertisers and agencies with an updated understanding of readership and media consumption across India, creating a currency for business decision-making.