What’s a TARP and how’s it measured?

TARP stands for Target Audience Rating Point and it refers to the proportion of an advertiser’s target audience that is exposed to a campaign or program.

TARPs are typically used for TV advertising that is bought against a specific demographic or audience segment. 

TARPs are calculated by using the following formula:

TARP = Average audience viewing a program / target universe estimate x 100

‘Universe estimates’ estimate the total audience size. For example, in 2019, the universe estimate for Melbourne metro is 5,243,200. 

So let’s say 720,000 women aged 25-to-39 were exposed to an advertising campaign from a total universe of 4,800,000 people, then the campaign delivers a TARP of 15 since 720,000 divided by 4,800,000 equals 15.

To access OzTAM universe estimates click here.

To access Regional TAM universe estimates click here.