Online Panels Helping to Shape Content: An Interview with CanWest

Two years ago, CanWest Mediaworks, the parent company of The Vancouver Sun, The Province and other prominent newspapers across Canada, came to Ipsos with the idea of creating an online panel. The primary objectives for CanWest Mediaworks at the time were to:

1. Better understand the information needs of their readers.
2. Develop content that responds to reader needs.
3. Have a tool that measured reader opinion of planned strategic considerations.

The experiences and learnings from the Sun and Province panels were so beneficial a decision was made to expand the program to include all CanWest Mediaworks paid dailies across Canada. CanWest now has more than 17,000 readers registered coast to coast and is the largest custom online panel in Canada.

Michael Lawrence, Vice-President of Strategy and Communications at CanWest Mediaworks, sat down with Ipsos Ideas Canada to discuss how the panel has impacted the way the newspapers interact with their readers.

The first CanWest interactive panels were launched two years ago. What was the idea behind launching the panels?

Prior to the development of the panels, we didn't have a tool to measure reader attitudes or to have an ongoing dialogue with our subscribers or readers. When we introduced changes to our products or service, we didn't know how the changes were being received other than the people who called to complain. The panels have provided us with the opportunity to test changes to our products before they are made and give us the ability to follow up with a large group of customers to make certain the changes we've made reflect their needs and expectations.

In our business, providing relevant content to readers is crucial. The interactive panels enable us to measure reader attitudes on an array of topics to see if we're delivering on their expectations and, if they are satisfied with the content we are providing.

Can you illustrate an example where the panels have shaped the content?

We had evidence that there is a growing interest in home improvements and renovations. We worked with Ipsos to design a survey to measure specific planned behaviour including what kind of renovations were planned, what supplies they intended to buy and the awareness of various brands and retailers.

We also asked the panellists if they had an interest in reading articles in our newspaper(s) related to home improvements and renovations. The response was overwhelming. Of the more than 9,000 panellists that completed the survey, 80% claimed that they were interested or very interested in reading articles related to home improvements and renovations.

Because advertising is an important part of our total content offering, we asked the respondents to tell us what manufacturer brands and retailers they would expect to see on these pages.

When we reviewed the final results, our editorial teams knew precisely what information our readers were looking for and began working on their content plans. At the same time, our sales departments have been able to share these survey results with key advertisers. This kind of information is exactly what advertisers are looking for and provide us with a significant competitive advantage over other media and allow us to better serve our advertising clients.

What's the future for the panels?

We're committed to maintaining and growing our panels. The panels are important tools that help us meet the changing needs of our readers and advertising customers. Learnings have led to the development of new ideas, opportunities and business strategies.

Over the past couple of years we have asked panellists a host of questions ranging from customer service, product pricing, development of entirely new sections, attitudes related to federal, provincial and civic elections, the reengineering of our websites, personal safety to how they think the Canucks are going to do in the coming season.

We've learned a lot in the past couple of years and expect to build on our experience in the years to come. Areas of exploration are only limited by our imagination, so we're very excited.

When we launched our first panel, panel research and the supporting technology was and is relatively new. Over time, Ipsos has continually improved their software and reporting tools with a new version anticipated in the coming months. Each change has been seamless for us and reporting has become amazingly simple.

As I mentioned earlier, we've come a long way over the past couple of years. During this period our relationship with Ipsos has become more of a partnership than a client supplier relationship. Catherine Dawson and Daphne Hume from the Vancouver office have taken the time to know our business and have provided valuable insight in survey design and interpreting results.

Interactive panels are set up to discuss ideas for eleven major newspapers in the CanWest organization from across the country including: the National Post, the Times Colonist in Victoria, The Vancouver Sun and The Province in Vancouver, the Calgary Herald, the Edmonton Journal, the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, the Regina Leader-Post, the Windsor Star, the Ottawa Citizen and The Gazette in Montreal. Participants are invited to take part in surveys on various topics, providing fast results and relevant information for the newspapers to make decisions and build more relevant content.

For more information on building an Online Panel, contact Julie Paul, Vice President, Interactive Custom Panels.