Six in 10 Consumers Still Use Newspaper Ads
US consumers say they rely on newspaper advertisements more than ads in any other medium when they are planning, shopping and making purchase decisions, according to early results from a study commissioned by the Newspaper Association of America (NAA), conducted by MORI Research.
Other media, including the internet, trailed newspapers by 20 percentage points as the primary medium for checking advertising, the study found.
The research, part of a series entitled “American Consumer Insights,” also examined the effect newspaper advertising has on consumer shopping and spending patterns. It found that nearly six in 10 adults (59%) identify newspapers as the medium they use to help plan shopping or make purchase decisions.
Among respondents who say they “took action” as a result of newspaper advertising:
- 61% clipped a coupon
- 50% bought something
- 27% tried something for the first time
Data also revealed that 73% of adults regularly or occasionally read newspaper inserts, and 82% have been spurred to action by a newspaper insert in the past month.
“Newspaper advertising remains the most powerful tool for advertisers who want to motivate consumers to take action,” said NAA President and CEO John Sturm.
In contrast to the NAA’s survey findings, a recent study by Harris Interactive put newspaper ads behind TV ads as the most helpful to consumers making purchase decisions.
Another survey, commissioned by Google, found that newspaper ads actually drive consumers to the web.
About the survey: MORI Research conducted this phone and internet survey of more than 3,000 adults for the Newspaper Association of America. Findings discussed in this article represent early data from the survey. Full results will be available in the Fall of 2009.
August 3rd, 2009 at 12:08 pm
If these results were real, why are US newspapers suffering so much? Advertisers will stay with the media that works for them.
This study lacks credibility in my mind.
August 3rd, 2009 at 12:56 pm
It is relevant to note who sponsored this survey. And, to really understand the meaning of these findings, one would have to know exactly who was surveyed and what the question was that yielded these results.
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Whether you believe the NAA/MORI or Harris Interactive numbers, one thing seems clear: companies who rely solely on “online” ad campaigns are missing out. And if you’re selling online you need to be mindful of the influence that newspapers and television still have upon consumer purchase decisions.
In particular, online retailers should be prepared to greet web visitors appropriately when they are driven to the site by newspaper and TV campaigns. Continuing the consumer conversation online can be very effective and there are several ways to do this including geo-location factors such as newspaper distribution mapping as well as the more obvious coding of print and TV URLs.
August 4th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
How can polls and research findings like this ever be taken as credible when the NAA commissioned the study? What’s it supposed to say, that newspapers are dying?