Senior executives worldwide prefer getting their news and information via print – newspapers, general business magazines, trade and professional journals, and leisure publications – according to (pdf) a recent Doremus and Financial Times poll.
The majority of senior execs access info in print or a mix of print and electronic; only a small minority view primarily electronic formats, the study found.
Overall, electronic media have made significantly larger inroads into work-related media consumption than leisure-related media.
Execs were asked to respond to the following statements:
- Print media are becoming obsolete – 73% disagreed
- I pay more attention to print ads than online ads – 64% agreed
- I trust print over online sources for information – 59% agreed
- I save most print media for weekends and travel time – 63% agreed
- When I want in-depth analysis, I turn to print – 60% agreed
Among other findings of the study:
- Except for leisure media, men are more print-centric than women, with around half of men relying mostly on print versions and only a quarter to one-third of women:
- Some 29% of senior executives said the internet meets all their information needs.
- Print outweighs other media preferences, such as websites and email, when it comes to learning about industry trends, general news, and leisure.
- Print and events are top preferences when it comes to learning about professional issues and skills.
“Marketers with high-end goods and services, including travel, restaurants, luxury cars and financial services, might consider the power of print and how it can engage this very desirable audience with their advertising messages – particularly during their leisure time,” said Howard Sherman, managing director of Doremus New York.
About the study: Omnicom Group‘s Doremus business communications agency and the Financial Times polled over 600 senior executives online to learn how they feel about electronic media versus traditional media. Some 91% of the C-level and senior-level executives from North America, Europe and Asia. were male, and 75% were age 45+.
