A new study by Roper Public Affairs for the Custom Publishing Council (CPC) found that 93% of respondents were familiar with at least one type of custom publication, while more than two-thirds say that companies that provide information about their products in these magazines help them make better purchasing decisions. The report says that custom media is a preferred source of information with 74% of respondents agreeing that getting information about companies from an interesting collection of articles is more appealing than getting information from advertisements.

According to Forrester Consulting Services for American Business Media, of marketers' budgets in 2007 Only marketing communications (17%) and online advertising (16%) drew more ad dollars than trade shows and events. Face-to-face events made up 15%. A recent BPA Worldwide research study indicates a disconnect between US-based event organizers and their exhibitors in terms of utilizing independent event audit data. Reported in a BPA Whitepaper on exhibitor ROI at tradeshow events, organizers are aware of event audits, but believed a show audit led to unnecessary costs and intrusive processes.

Alloy Access, in partnership with Excend Consulting Services, in a recent Hispanic Newspaper Audience study, says that young and educated consumers (usually known for usage of digital mediums) report continued readership and engagement with the Hispanic print medium. 57% of respondents who read their Hispanic newspaper are under the age of 35. Greg Anthony, SVP, Alloy Access "The Hispanic community... is proving their weight as a segment of influential consumers, with an estimated $951 billion in spending power...

According to the latest data from Mediamark Research & Intelligence, despite the widespread availability of software and Internet services that assist in the preparation of income tax returns, just under 20% of U.S. adults who file Federal tax returns avail themselves of such applications. 50% of adults report that they use professional help, such as on-site specialists like H&R Block, a CPA or a tax professional, in preparing their returns.

More than 90 million consumers (78% of retail shoppers) currently use newspaper coupons, with nearly one out of every four of the newspaper coupon clippers likely to be at least 65 years old. It also revealed that nearly four out of every 10 shoppers, a total of 40 million consumers, would be very likely to use coupons accessed online.

According to the new BBMG Conscious Consumer Report: Redefining Value in a New Economy, 23% of U.S. consumers say they have "no way of knowing" if a product is green or actually does what it claims. But, 77% agree that they "can make a positive difference by purchasing products from socially or environmentally responsible companies," and they are actively seeking information to verify green claims.

The telephone answering machine meant once-missed calls were returned and completed, which encouraged more calling. The answering machine served as an accelerant into Americans' existing calling patterns. In a similar way, says the author, mobile internet access is drawing people into more frequent online use. This finding is the cornerstone the Project's study, finding that 39% of the adult population have seen the frequency of their online use grow as their reliance on mobile devices has increased.

To find the relative effectiveness of ads on television, in magazines, and on the Internet, McPheters & Company used 30-second TV ads, full-page 4-color magazine ads, and Internet banner ads in standard sizes, and employed eye-tracking software to determine if (and how) Internet ads were actually seen by respondents.

Though it has been reviewed and editorialized, here are a few selected year-end Internet ad metrics for a quick reference in the desk drawer. The IAB 2008 Internet Advertising Revenue Report shows that the full-year 2008 revenues totaled $23.4 billion, exceeding 2007 by $2.2 billion or 10.6%, while all US advertising for 2008 was down 2.6% compared to 2007. And, fourth quarter revenues of $6.1 billion mark the first time the interactive advertising industry achieved, and surpassed, $6 billion in a single quarter.

When asked about their banks, insurance companies and investment firms, the study found that 55% of consumers who say they had seen more advertising for their financial institution reported having "complete confidence" in the financial health and soundness of their financial company. Among those who said they had seen less advertising, only 18% had "complete confidence" in their financial company and a significant 45% said they had "little or no confidence" in their company.