It has recently come to our attention that false documentation regarding a “Mystery Shopper” or “Store Evaluator” program is being circulated under the MarketCast brand and well-known retailers to consumers across the U.S.

This is a consumer scam. Do not respond to any request that you receive through the postal service, email or via phone from anyone claiming to be from MarketCast asking you to participate in a store evaluator, mystery shopper or similar program.

Please know that MarketCast would never ask for funds to be exchanged, including purchasing gift cards, to participate in any consumer survey.

We are appalled that someone is using our name and brand for these purposes. Unfortunately, this is one of many similar fake offers being circulated at this time. In fact, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently published an article warning consumers about this very issue: ‘Fake offers for secret shopper jobs.’ At the end of this article, there is a link to notify the FTC if you receive a similar proposition.

Team MarketCast

Access our webinar recording.

The replay of our Webinar with VICE Media Group, covering how recent events have super-charged young people’s values and perceptions of the products and brands, is now available here:

“Let nobody give you the impression that the problem of racial injustice will work itself out.  Let nobody give you the impression that only time will solve the problem.  That is a myth.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,  June 1965

The events of these past few weeks have once again highlighted the hundreds of years of injustice faced by African Americans, indigenous peoples, and other people of color in the United States. We have no excuses. It’s been 56 years since the Civil Rights Act was signed into law, 52 years since the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and nearly 30 years since the police beating of Rodney King here in Los Angeles. Yet, we continue to bear witness to racial injustice on a daily basis.

Today, we want to commit to MarketCast employees, clients and the greater community we serve that we will focus our efforts on racial equality and justice. We will start by examining our own culture and practices, including the creation and complete embrace of a robust and meaningful Diversity and Inclusion program.

With the help of third-party experts, we will review and refine many of our internal policies, including creating a workplace environment and recruiting practices that attract and retain diverse candidates, as well as nurture future leaders.

While these efforts will require time and thoughtful planning, we are also committing to these more immediate changes:

• Identifying and partnering with a racial justice or other policy organization on an annual basis to provide access to our expert research and data analytics services pro-bono.
• Setting a date for an annual MarketCast Day of Service with the focus on helping organizations that serve people of color.
• Starting a leadership mentoring program for our diverse employees and increasing our racial bias training.
• Publishing and sharing our diversity data annually with employees and clients to show our progress.

These are our first steps in a long-term plan for change within our company and our community. It’s time.

Access our webinar recording.

Thank you for your interest in viewing our webinar recording. All you have to do is fill out the below and you can access the recording.

Access our webinar recording for free!

Thank you for your interest in viewing our webinar recording. All you have to do is fill out the below and you can access the recording.

Streaming fans are using more streaming services than before, but spending on paid subscriptions remain flat, posing a challenge to new entrants to the space

LOS ANGELES, April 3, 2020 – Today, MarketCast released highlights from the latest MarketCast Streaming Tracker, a bi-weekly report that measures streaming video trends across top streaming video platforms. According to findings in MarketCast’s March 14 to March 27 reporting period, streaming audiences gravitated to “distraction genres,” such as classic comedy, dramas and unscripted docuseries, during the past two weeks of the COVID-19 crisis. In addition, the MarketCast data highlights a desire among consumers to have more content, while remaining conservative in their spending for paid subscriptions.

The MarketCast Streaming Tracker delivers the industry’s first Fandom Index™, featuring the top 25 Original and Library titles and a ranking of Streaming Services bi-weekly. It combines fan survey data gathered from thousands of U.S. streaming video subscribers with social sentiment analysis captured from millions of social media conversations.

Fan Engagement Metrics
MarketCast Engagement metrics determine if viewers have watched an original series or library catalog program during the reporting period.

• Netflix remains dominant in viewership and fan engagement with 19 of the top 25 original series ranked by MarketCast’s Fan Engagement metrics.
• The top original series during the two-week reporting period include Netflix’s On My Block and Stranger Things, as well as The Mandalorian from Disney+.
• With audiences looking for “comfort viewing,” the 2000s hit series The Office generated the highest MarketCast Engagement and Evangelism scores among classic and library shows.
• Rounding out the top library series for fan engagement are Hulu’s Rick and Morty and The Good Place, which is available on both Hulu and Netflix.

Fan Evangelism Metrics
MarketCast Evangelism metrics identify which programs fans are advocating for the most on social media.

• The Netflix series Tiger King had the highest MarketCast Evangelism score of any series debut this year, reflecting the massive amount of social conversation the show received.
• Since social buzz is often a leading indicator of eventual viewership, MarketCast anticipates Netflix’s Tiger King to rank higher in Fan Engagement during its next reporting period.
• The Hulu series Little Fires Everywhere debuted at #2 for Evangelism during the reporting period, a strong showing for the new Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington drama.

Consumer Spending Metrics
The MarketCast Streaming Tracker measured consumer spending and usage of paid and ad-supported streaming services during the period, findings include:

• Streaming fans are paying for an average of 2.2 services per month, flat from the previous month.
• They are using an average of 3.2 streaming services (combined paid and ad-supported) per month in March 2020, slightly higher than February 2020.
• Streaming fans reported they are less willing to add more paid streaming services to their spending mix in March 2020 than in previous months, and future spend is anticipated to be relatively flat.

Additional Fan Insights

• Social conversations about classic TV series centered around The Simpsons, Gilmore Girls, Seinfeld and other 90s and early 2000s comedies and teen dramas.
• Conversations about unavailable content rose 80 percent, with fans of the Harry Potter franchise speaking the loudest, demanding the films in the series be available for streaming.
• Social media conversations about Netflix and Disney+ password sharing surged more than 500%.

“Audiences are gravitating to streaming series that distract from the world around them with unscripted docuseries like Tiger King, classic comedies, such as The Office, and star-led series like Little Fires Everywhere, topping the latest MarketCast streaming fandom index,” said Ben Carlson, SVP of Streaming and Platforms at MarketCast. “Additionally, our current data highlights the challenges facing new paid streaming services preparing to launch as consumer spending remains flat despite fans using more services than ever before.”

The MarketCast Streaming Tracker identifies subscriber perceptions of the most popular streaming platforms, including Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, BET+, Disney+, Facebook Watch, Apple TV+ and others, to determine the factors shaping subscription loyalty and spending. Combined, MarketCast’s analytics and insights about content and subscription health explain the impact of streaming programming and marketing decisions on the overall success of platforms.

The MarketCast Streaming Tracker is delivered directly to subscribers, with the option for clients to customize certain survey data to address specific research needs. To learn more about the MarketCast Streaming Tracker, visit www.marketcast.com.

About MarketCast
MarketCast research, analytics and data science fuels fandom for leading studios, entertainment platforms, sports and lifestyle brands on the planet. Our unique mix of research analytics is combined with big data science to provide clients powerful insights to inform their biggest business decisions. Today, MarketCast counts some of the biggest names in entertainment as clients, including leading Hollywood studios, streaming services, lifestyle brands and sports leagues and teams. For more information, visit: www.marketcast.com.

Press Contact
Graham McKenna
graham.mckenna@marketcast.com

Access our webinar recording for free!

Thank you for your interest in viewing our webinar recording. All you have to do is fill out the below and you can access the recording.

Nielsen Marketing Leader Joins MarketCast to Drive Growth in Entertainment Data, Research, and Analytics

Los Angeles, Calif. — October 31, 2019 — MarketCast Group today announced the appointment of Graham McKenna as its chief marketing officer (CMO). An experienced media and technology marketing leader, McKenna will head up MarketCast’s brand, product marketing, and communications efforts across its portfolio of data and analytics products and services. A pioneer in research, consumer insights, and analytics for media companies and brands, MarketCast counts some of the biggest names in entertainment as clients, including leading Hollywood studios, streaming services, and sports leagues and teams.

McKenna comes to MarketCast from Nielsen, where he served as senior vice president of product marketing and was responsible for Nielsen’s product marketing efforts across its media measurement, sports, music, and metadata portfolio. He joined Nielsen following its acquisition of Gracenote, where he led the marketing and communications team and strategy through a period of massive growth and transformation, including acquisitions by Tribune Media and Nielsen.

“Graham is a world-class communicator and product marketer, and his experience in the data, technology, and entertainment space will be invaluable as we expand our product portfolio and position MarketCast for aggressive growth,” said John Batter, CEO of MarketCast Group. “Graham will be invaluable for scaling our marketing and communications efforts and imagining new ways to package and deliver our amazing research and data to clients.”

MarketCast provides media companies, lifestyle brands, and sports leagues, teams, and rightsholders with a wide range of research, data, and analytics products and services to fuel critical business decisions. This includes helping clients plan and analyze movie and TV marketing campaigns, understand audience engagement across social media platforms, and measure the value and impact of sports sponsorships.

The addition of McKenna is just the latest move by MarketCast Group to bring depth and talent to its leadership team. In July, the company announced the appointment of media industry veteran John Batter to CEO. In the newly created role of CMO, McKenna will join the MarketCast senior leadership team and report to Batter. He will be responsible for all marketing and communications initiatives, including go-to-market strategies, media relations, and ramping up its sales enablement capabilities.

About MarketCast Group

MarketCast Group is a leading provider of data-driven research, consumer insights, and analytics, serving the media, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle industries. The company operates through four integrated consumer insights businesses: MarketCast, Insight Strategy Group, Fizziology, and Turnkey Intelligence, which work in collaboration to apply the power of data, technology, and proven innovation to get at the heart of how consumers think, shop, and entertain their passions.

Established in 1987, MarketCast is a leading provider of marketing research services and data analytics, servicing the global entertainment industry. Insight Strategy Group is a consumer research and strategy agency that leverages deep social science expertise to fuel brand growth, new product introductions, and service and content innovation. Fizziology is a provider of social research and analytics that uses real-time global conversation to create actionable insights for marketers and creators. Turnkey Intelligence is a business intelligence provider in the sports industry, offering best-in-class research and advisory services to sports leagues, teams, venues, and brands. Together, these companies equip clients to engage consumers and fans, manage and grow their brands, launch new products and services, expand consumer reach, and maximize business outcomes. MarketCast Group is a portfolio company of Kohlberg & Company, L.L.C.