• by October 16, 2002

New Knowledge Networks information about media use by Hispanic, African American, Asian American, and Caucasian men shows sometimes-dramatic differences in their time spent with key media - differences that could have important implications for advertisers, agencies, and media companies targeting these important consumer groups.

The new data come from MultiMedia Mentor, a Knowledge Networks/SRI strategic planning service that allows clients to identify efficient ways of combining media to reach specific target audiences. MultiMedia Mentor conducts a continuous measurement of consumer use of television, radio, the Internet, newspapers, and magazines; a variety of demographic and product-variable breaks are available.

The latest MultiMedia Mentor surveys show that, among men ages 25 to 54, African Americans spend the most time overall with media per day - 10% more than the average. Their use of magazines is some 40% higher than average, and their television time is 25% higher.

"Effective allocation of a media budget demands a clear understanding of how target audiences spend time across media," said KN/SRI Vice President & Managing Director Ericka Witnauer. "With its single-source data and numerous demo options, MultiMedia Mentor provides reliable information for increasing reach and identifying opportunities for both buyers and sellers."

Hispanic men of the same age group register near-average use of radio and television, while their time spent with the Web, newspapers, and magazines is 18% to 28% below MultiMedia Mentor averages.

MultiMedia Mentor data also show that Hispanic men 25 to 54 spend about one-quarter of their overall media time with Spanish-language media. This use varies widely among the individual media; Spanish-language television accounts for 30% of their time with the medium - but for magazines, newspapers, and the Internet, the figures are 15% or lower.

Asian American men 25 to 54 register notably low use of radio (less than 50% of average time spent) and the lowest score for television among the four groups. By contrast, they show a strong preference for the Internet (50% above average) and, to a lesser extent, newspapers.

Not surprisingly, media use by Caucasian men 25 to 54 very closely tracks overall averages.