Barb has appointed NatCen, RSMB and Ipsos to deliver key elements of its Establishment Survey and panel recruitment, following a tender process. The new contracts will run from 2027 to 2029.
Under the awards, NatCen and RSMB will deliver Barb’s Establishment Survey, which underpins the UK industry’s audience measurement by providing the data needed to maintain a nationally representative viewing panel of 7k homes.
NatCen will lead delivery of the survey, focused on keeping estimates of TV viewing equipment current, setting panel targets by home type, measuring the penetration and overlap of TV platforms, and identifying homes for recruitment to the panel.
The NatCen/RSMB partnership also includes a redesign of the survey questionnaire to improve the flow of interviews and accessibility for participants. RSMB will lead on survey weighting, quality assurance and reporting, including a new dashboard.
Ipsos will take on panel top-up recruitment, identifying additional new homes to join the Barb panel. NatCen and Ipsos will both be responsible for ensuring a recruited pool of homes willing to take part, with NatCen recruiting target homes drawn from the Establishment Survey.
Barb said the Establishment Survey methodology will prioritise random-probability, face-to-face fieldwork, while Ipsos will use a range of contact techniques for top-up recruitment. NatCen will also begin testing mixed-mode methods within the Establishment Survey.
Caroline Baxter, chief operating officer at Barb, said the appointments bring together “three leading research agencies” to support the Establishment Survey and panel recruitment, noting Ipsos’ role in managing Barb’s expansion to 7k homes in 2024.
