• by Masha Geller , October 29, 2001

The Online Publishers Association (OPA) announced today that after a comprehensive review of online publishing industry issues, it has commissioned two studies of online advertising with Millward Brown IntelliQuest.

According to the announcement, the first study will explore the media consumption habits of the at-work online audience, while the other will examine the role of online advertising in the overall media mix with the goal of providing a better understanding of how online ads work in conjunction with other media.

Michael Zimbalist, acting executive director of OPA, said these studies will “further establish online advertising as a media imperative and provide a tangible way of measuring the effectiveness of online advertising when used in combination with other media.”

The first study, referred to as the Workplace Use of the Internet Study, aims to profile the media habits of the at-work audience and determine how and when this segment uses the Internet in conjunction with other media. The Workplace study will also explore the extent to which the online at-work population provides the opportunity for advertisers to reach their target audiences at times of the day when they would otherwise be unavailable.

The second study, referred to as the Media Mix study, seeks to determine the value of online advertising in the overall media mix. It will assess the effectiveness of online advertising, in terms of increasing brand strength, when used in combination with traditional media.

The initial results of the studies are scheduled for release in December 2001 and January 2002. Let’s hope they both tell us something valuable.