Download Identifying media trends and advertising research for newspaper

Identifying media trends and advertising research for newspaper executives
Produced by Andrea Loubier on 7 March 2005
A Note From Andrea: Keeping track of how various media -- newspapers, television, radio, outdoor,
internet, direct mail and others -- represent themselves to advertisers is the ongoing focus of the bi-weekly Media Monitor ENewsletter by INMA.
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Media Marketing Bodies Help Their Industries
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Celebrity Endorsements are Falling Out of Favour
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Direct Mail Strong Influencer of Retail Store Visits
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Specific Industries Do Not Gain Exemption to the Federal No-Call List
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When is One User Many and Many Users One? The Problem of Measurement On the Internet
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Online Floater Ads Escape the Pop-Up Blockers
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General Interest Magazines Failing in Niche Marketplace
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Traditional Media Suffer as News Hounds Search for Current Information On the Web.
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Keyword Advertising Within Articles Causes Unease
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Distraction Factor of Visual Clutter On Roadways Difficult to Determine
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Radio Station Abandons Commercials In Favour of Selling MP3 Downloads
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Radio Reach Deepest With Upscale College Grads
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Digital Video Recorder Users Consume More Media Than Average
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Nielsen Media Research to Improve Audience Measurement
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Media Marketing Bodies Help Their Industries
Source: MediaWeek | 15 February 2005
MediaWeek writers rate several British industry marketing associations on how well they promote their media. The Radio
Advertising ranks a full 9 out of 10 while the Interactive Advertising Bureau gets only a 4 out of 10. Read more about why
these agencies are successful (or not) in this insightful analysis of Great Britain's media marketing organizations.
Celebrity Endorsements are Falling Out of Favour
Source: The Independent | 20 February 2005
The once tried and true marketing method of having a celebrity endorse your product may no longer be effective. The
European media research company has discovered that Brits are becoming resistant. Some 67 percent of consumers were
"unconvinced" or "uninterested" by celebrity chef ranges. Only 8 percent said they would actually buy a celebrity brand even if the personality was someone they "admire or trust.■ Furthermore, 60 percent of adults are "bored with celebrities,"
and a further 20 percent say they are "celebrity resistant." Those in the know suggest that the nature of celebrity has
changed since the advent of reality TV. And consumers know that most sign endorsements because they're paid to do it,
not because they believe in the product.
Related: You Don't Have To Be a Star -- But It Helps
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Direct Mail Strong Influencer of Retail Store Visits
Source: Vertis Inc. | 07 February 2005
In a study just released by targeted marketing company Vertis Inc., 24 percent of individuals who read direct mail reported
having visited a retail store as a result of receiving a retailer▓s direct mail piece. Vertis officials assert that the American
customer has become more receptive to direct mail pieces as they seek the best price and products to meet their need.
Fully 63 percent of adults said that an interesting package made it more likely for them to open the direct mail piece.
Alternatively, 51 percent said that a special offer or discount will make a difference as to whether or not they open the direct
mail piece. The study further breaks down response rates based on age and other demographics.
Specific Industries Do Not Gain Exemption to the Federal No-Call List
Source: DM News | 11 February 2005
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has decided not to allow exemptions to the government▓s No-Call List
regulation prohibiting telemarketers from calling individuals on the list. Several industries had requested an exemption to the
list. Newspapers have argued that the rule inhibits them from delivering their product which is protected under the freespeech amendment. However, the FCC did clarify that contracts companies have with consumers signify an existing
business relationship and that those companies may call their customers.
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When is One User Many and Many Users One? The Problem of Measurement On the
Internet
Source: ClickZ Network | 25 February 2005
Broadband, advances in online advertising technology, and home computers make it seem easier to serve up ads to
individuals. But exactly which ad should be targeted for a computer in a family home that has four users, one PC, and an
always connected computer that could be surfing Disney Playhouse in the morning, news sites and Oprah in the afternoon,
and playing online video games and browsing Amazon.com in the evening? Furthermore, what about the individual that will
access the same site both from home and work or school? These types of users, referred to as bimodal, accounted for 51.1
percent of users in 2002 according to JupiterResearch. Another study found that the overwhelming majority of 1- to 5person households have only one computer in the home. The issue is an important one as advertisers demand increasingly
sophisticated metrics from the sites or companies they place advertising with, and there is no immediate answer.
Online Floater Ads Escape the Pop-Up Blockers
Source: The New York Times | 24 February 2005
Floater ads, in which a small character or other item seems to float across the screen of your PC while you're looking at a
web page, are the latest incarnation of a pop-up ad. While static web ads have a click through rate of only 0.5 percent, popup and floater ads have rates as high as 3 to 5 percent, though studies have shown that a fairly high portion of that click
through may be attempts to close the ads rather than genuine interest in the product. Floaters evade pop-up blockers
because they don't spawn new windows to be blocked, instead they overlay the text. However floaters seem to annoy
consumers just as much as pop-ups and many sites are limiting the number of times an individual will see a floater in any
one session.
Related: 90% of Click-Throughs On Pop-Up Ads Are False Positives
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General Interest Magazines Failing in Niche Marketplace
Source: The Australian | 17 February 2005
General interest magazines, like big department stores, are losing customers to competition from niche marketers. An
example is Australia's The Bulletin which was recording a weekly circulation in the 10,000 range just ten years ago and has
now fallen to the low 60s. Apparently, general interest interests nobody, including advertisers who are trying to make their
every advertising dollar count.
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Traditional Media Suffer as News Hounds Search for Current Information On the
Web.
Source: MediaPost Publications | 27 February 2005
Internet users who have an interest in current events are increasingly turning to the net to get their information and away
from television, magazines, and newspapers. The study, done by Washingtonpost.com in conjunction with
Nielsen/NetRatings, shows that 60 percent of respondents reported daily visits to online news sources, compared to 47
percent who watch television news daily, 41 percent who listen to the radio, and 30 percent who read a local newspaper.
Related: Internet Advertising Spending Growth More Than Traditional Media
Related: New Media Competes With, But Doesn't Replace, Traditional Media In Germany
Keyword Advertising Within Articles Causes Unease
Source: The New York Times | 24 February 2005
A new type of advertising on newspaper and magazine websites is causing debate. More than 400 online publishers
including Forbes Magazine and now the New York Post use software to sell keywords within an article to advertisers. The
words appear underlined and in an alternative color to the other text. When a user mouses over them a small box appears
saying something like "sponsored link" followed by an advertising message and a link to more information. This advertising
practice seems to pose questions about the legitimacy and independence of the article among readers, but proponents of
the practice believe the passive text links make for a more pleasant online reading experience than having flashy ads
elsewhere on the web page.
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Distraction Factor of Visual Clutter On Roadways Difficult to Determine
Source: Technology Research News | 23 February 2005
Advertisers, increasingly desperate to connect with consumers, have made huge innovations in the arena of outdoor
advertising. However, as nanotechnologies make high resolution displays more common, the driver distraction factor is
likely to increase. Developments within the outdoor industry have far outpaced regulating bodies' ability to measure their
impact, especially since the industry is regulated on a state by state basis. Research in this area is preliminary, but
Canadian researchers using eye tracking devices to monitor drivers' visual attention have found that video signs are more
distracting than static ones and that they can act as a catalyst, increasing ad gazing of all types.
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Radio Station Abandons Commercials In Favour of Selling MP3 Downloads
Source: Wired | 18 February 2005
German radio station MotorFM had decided to forego radio's traditional major source of income, commercial advertising, in
favor for funding itself through sales of MP3 downloads to its listeners, streaming music to cell phones, and targeted
sponsorship opportunities. The group does not expect to be able to support itself via MP3 sales for the next 2-3 years, but
should be an important new radio business model to watch given the increasing popularity of commercial free satellite radio.
Radio Reach Deepest With Upscale College Grads
Source: Center For Media Research | 14 February 2005
According to the latest total radio listening estimates compiled by Arbitron, radio continues to be a mainstay medium,
reaching demographics in all locations. Radio reaches 95 percent of adults aged 18 and older in households where income
is US$75,000 or more. Ninety-five percent of college grads listen to radio versus 92 percent of the general population. Some
25 percent of adults listen while at work and 82 percent listen while in their cars. In an average week, radio reaches 94
percent of people 12 years and older or some 228 million Americans.
Related: Well-Educated, Upper-Income Consumers Use Radio Most
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Digital Video Recorder Users Consume More Media Than Average
Source: Media Daily News | 23 February 2005
The consumer uptake rate of digital video recorders (DVR) has made the television industry uneasy as advertisers take note
of study after study indicating that DVR users skip commercials. However, according to the most recent media survey by
Knowledge Networks, DVR users are actually greater consumers of media than average. In fact, they spend 48 percent
more time with newspapers, 43 percent more time with magazines, 40 percent more time online, 19 percent more time with
radio, and 17 percent more time with television than the average consumer.
Related: Digital Video Recorder Will Soon Offer Advertisers New Opportunities For Direct Marketing
Related: Digital Video Recorders Seen as Opportunity for Advertising Industry By Some
Nielsen Media Research to Improve Audience Measurement
Source: Media Life | 21 February 2005
In an attempt to stem the tide of negative publicity generated by its Local People Meters and seeming anomalies in its
ratings, Nielsen Media Research has announce that it will be inviting greater participation by its clients in the development of
research methodologies and that it will be improving the quality of data it collects about viewers. The television industry has
greeted the announcement positively, finally glad to have some say in how the measurement monopoly conducts its
business.
Related: Viewer Counting Dispute May Soon End