ACNielsen-DJC Research Chinese Media Index

The first-ever Chinese Media Index was conducted in Vancouver in 1995. Similar studies were then carried out in Toronto in 1996 and Vancouver in 1998. The latest update is the Toronto Chinese Media Index 1999, which was conducted in September and October 1999. The ACNielsen-DJC Research Chinese Media Index, CMI, is a single source dataset that provides information on product and service usage, as well as media habits of the Chinese population in the city surveyed.

Drawing from a representative sample of over 1,000 Chinese-speaking adults aged eighteen years and older living in the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), the Toronto Chinese Media Index, and the Vancouver CMI, are available on a syndicated basis to advertisers, their agencies and organizations interested in the Chinese market.

The media data is compiled from participants' seven.asp"ay diary of radio listening, television viewing and newspaper reading. Respondents also completed a consumer questionnaire which collected detailed information on their demographics and their consumption of and expenditure behavior toward different products or service categories.

The following features make the ACNielsen-DJC Research Toronto Chinese Media Index unique:

•The Toronto CMI is not a proprietary study commissioned by any particular medium, it is a syndicated study; thus, the CMI is totally independent and neutral.

•ACNielsen-DJC Research is the expert in ethnic market research. The methodology of their CMI study conforms to standards of media research practice and it has a sample frame of over 1,000 Chinese adults to allow for various analysis.

•The survey utilized mailed questionnaires, which is a method proven to be more comprehensive than telephone interview.

Chinese Market at a Glance

According to the 1996 Census, more than 920,000 Canadians are Chinese by birth. 80% of Chinese Canadians live in Ontario and British Columbia. Ontario has the highest Chinese population with more than 422,770 Chinese Canadians. About 85% of these people live in the Toronto census metropolitan area. This means more than 350,000 Chinese people live in Greater Toronto. Only 15% of Ontario Chinese are in areas outside Toronto's census areas, in locations such as Ottawa, Hamilton, London and Windsor.

On average, one in twelve people in Toronto CMA is Chinese. In Scarborough, over 16% of the total population are Chinese; in Richmond Hill, over 20% of total population are Chinese, and in Markham, 25% of total population are Chinese.