WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. -

J.D. Power and Associates has struck a deal with a provider of national audience measurement services to help shed some light on what buyers of specific car brands or segments are watching when they flip on the TV.

By partnering with Kantar Media, J.D. Power is aiming to help auto advertisers better understand the relationship between auto buying behavior and TV watching behavior, thus giving advertisers like dealers and automakers the tools they need to effectively plan and gauge ROI from media ads.

Essentially, J.D. Power’s auto buyer data (through the Power Information Network) will be integrated with Kantar’s TV audience viewing behavior data (from its set-top Return Path Data).

So, what can dealers and automakers learn from this information?

Take the following examples of gathered insight.

Officials noted that during the week of Sept. 26, hybrid buyers were drawn the most to ABC’s Body of Proof, Person of Interest on CBS and the Fox hit Glee.

Meanwhile, the three most popular shows for minivan buyers  were Grey’s Anatomy on ABC, Survivor: South Pacific and Blue Bloods. The latter two are on CBS.

That same week, non-luxury midsize car buyers tuned in to watch the Washington Redskins play the Dallas Cowboys on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, Dancing with the Stars on ABC and Grey’s Anatomy.

“The collaboration between J.D. Power and Kantar Media supports our goal of finding new and varied ways of listening to and augmenting the Voice of the Consumer,” stated Steve Witten, executive director of global automotive business development at J.D. Power.

“Linking the depth of data from J.D. Power’s Power Information Network with Kantar Media’s innovative methods of data collection and analysis will help yield innovative new products that will assist automakers, dealers and other key industry stakeholders in gauging return on marketing investments,” he added.

Bud Breheney, chief commercial officer of Kantar Media Audiences North America, noted: “Kantar Media provides clients with enhanced analytics that go far beyond audience demographics, enabling delivery of more relevant messages to consumers.

“The program with J.D. Power and Associates will provide media buyers and sellers with a level of insight into the viewing habits of specific automotive brand consumers not previously possible,” he continued. “As a result, media buyers and sellers will have a greater understanding of how to reach the consumers they want.”