According to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the population of persons 15 years old and above in the country is 115,467,000 (11 crore 54 lakh 67 thousand). Kantar conducted the National Media Survey among 16,883 of them. Other than print newspapers, the survey covered television, internet, radio and billboard reach. Mobile Finance Services (MFS), use of mobile phones, analysis of various product and service customers have all been highlighted in this survey.
Director of Dhaka University’s Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Mohammad A Momen, speaking about the survey, told Prothom Alo such surveys are very important for right target audience to determine the right news media. An accurate assessment can be made about the audience of various media on this basis. He said, “In our country, publicity costs are very high. On one hand we have to know our target audience in order to properly use our funds allocated for advertising, and on the other we have to determine the actual value of the cost of advertising. Such surveys provide this information.”
According to the National Media Survey 2021, in Bangladesh 18.3 per cent of persons 15 years old and older regularly read the newspaper. There are 129 newspapers and 122 magazines worth mention in the country. Of these, the number of Prothom Alo’s readers stands at around 5 million (50 lakh). There are 10.8 million (1 crore 8 lakh) readers who read Prothom Alo at least once a week. Incidentally, on 4 November this year, Prothom Alo celebrated its 23rd anniversary.
Meanwhile, according to Google Analytics, every month around 14 million (1 crore 40 lakh) readers visit the Prothom Alo online edition prothomalo.com. This online edition of Prothom Alo is the most popular Bangladeshi website. According to the US website tracking company Alexa, Prothom Alo is the No. 1 global Bangla website. Readers from over 200 countries and regions of the world read Prothom Alo online. Prothom Alo’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/DailyProthomAlo) has 17.3 million (1 crore 73 lakh) followers. Based on the number of followers and engagement, Prothom Alo ranks at No. 9 globally in the ‘daily news’ category.
With around 5 million daily readers of the print newspaper and around 14 million readers online, separately and jointly, Prothom Alo is now the top of all newspapers and websites of Bangladesh.
According to the National Media Survey 2021, of the 15 year old and above persons in the country, 83.6 per cent regularly watch television. And the use of internet is spreading rapidly. Presently 47 per cent of the people in the country regularly use the internet. And 13 per cent listen to the radio.
Kantar’s managing director in Bangladesh, ANM Ziaur Rahman, told Prothom Alo the survey was conducted through the Multistage Stratified Cluster Method. The sample cities of the survey were selected in consideration of higher population density and use of media, but an adequate number of persons in rural areas were also surveyed in scientific methods. The participation of men and women in the survey was equal. The survey was conducted in 184 areas of all divisional towns and selected municipal areas and villages of the country. There were 1650 data collection centres.
Advertisement market analysts feel that the present media reach is very complex and multifaceted. It is extremely difficult to understand which media the people will use, when they will turn to what media. In this age, people’s preferences and needs have all divided up according to their individual needs. That is why it is very difficult for an advertising firm or the marketing department of a large company to understand the multifaceted consumers.
Gray Advertising Bangladesh Limited’s managing partner and country head Syed Gausul Alam Shaon, speaking to Prothom Alo, said, “How will we work unless we understand the consumers? It is impossible for any individual organisation to understand this alone. And that is exactly where the National Media Survey is required.”
He said, “The National Media Survey brings us the answer to our many questions about consumers, market and media. The importance of this survey to Gray’s strategy and media department is unimaginable. And from experience I can say, the National Media Survey data is extremely honest and reliable.”