According to a proprietary study by The Media Trust Company, American Express had the largest share-of-voice among travel advertisers as consumers searched on where to vacation, hot travel deals and travel advice preceding Memorial Day, the official start of summer. The ranking of companies targeting travelers' dollars this vacation season, includes American Express, which received a 5.43% share-of-voice of all found ads.

Recent findings released by Ipsos MediaCT from MOTION shows that the percentage of video consumed on a TV among video downloaders and streamers declined from 75% in February 2007 to 70% in February 2008. A significant drop in overall 'share of screen time' with the growing contingent of digital video users, says the report.

Although a new Harris Interactive study reveals that over one-third of consumers say the dire economy will not affect their spending habits, the 60 percent of consumers who will limit their discretionary spending will curtail going out to restaurants (74 percent) and limit their purchase of electronics (71 percent). 41 percent of consumers, however, have no plans to stop or cut-back on the purchase of cell phones, making it an increasingly viable advertising channel.

Of thousands of children and adults, Internet users in the U.S., UK, Australia, Germany, France, Brazil, China and Japan, 52% around the world report having made friends online, suggesting that "don't talk to strangers" doesn't apply when in online worlds. In addition, 46% of users who made friends online said they enjoyed those relationships as much or more than friendships made offline. Other online activities ranking high around the world are dating (23%), using social networking sites (50%), and playing games (72%).

According to a recently released study by IDC, the U.S. Internet Advertising 2008-2012 Forecast and Analysis, overall Internet advertising revenue will double from $25.5 billion in 2007 to $51.1 billion in 2012. During the forecast period, Internet advertising will grow about eight times as fast as advertising at large.

A new report issued by The Media Audit reveals that 43.8 million U.S. adults have read an alternative newspaper or visited an alternative newspaper's website in the past 30 days. The study, which compared past four issue readership among 117 papers across 88 U.S. Markets, reveals an average readership of 374,296 adults in 2007 compared to 362,938 in the previous year, a 3% increase. Further, the average number of unique monthly website visitors among the 117 papers is 113,469 adults in 2007 compared to 106,139 in 2006, a nearly 7% increase.

Total Website user data for April, including detailed findings for viewers and advertisers in the Current Events and Global News categories, as well as Online video viewers and brands.

Considering how Online Americans are using different communication media for different lifestyle decisions and purchases, the Pew Internet & American Life Project Survey tells us that these Online Americans are also using different search and purchase strategies for different goods.

According to the Direct Magazine annual forecast survey, E-mail has become the top medium choice for direct marketers, supporting yesterday's Research Brief on consumer's attitudes about marketing communications modes. Of the firms polled, 72% send e-mail to customers, a 10% increase over 2007, and 50% to prospects, a 9% hike. In addition, 55% of those who use the medium plan to increase their budgets for it next year. Direct mail, while declining, remains a strong second, says the report.

According to the 2008 study of consumer attitudes towards email and online interaction with businesses, completed in May 2008 by research firm Ipsos for Habeas, Inc., 67% of consumers prefer email as a primary method of communications in their personal and business capacities, and 65% will continue to prefer email in the future despite the rise of online threats and the emergence of other communication channels and Web 2.0 applications.