In a surprising and seemingly counterintuitive finding, the biggest supporters of Internet ads are not avid online users, but heavy readers of magazines. The heaviest users of the Internet, it turns
out, are actually among Web advertising's staunchest critics. These are among the unexpected results of a bi-annual study of heavy media users, published last week by Mediamark Research Inc. (MRI).
The study, which is derived from MRI's Fall 2002 survey, shows that heavy magazine readers are much more likely than average consumers to consider Internet advertising "amusing," "funny" and
a good source of useful information. In fact, heavy users of TV and radio also deem Internet ads more entertaining than heavy Web users.
But when it came to negative attributes, such as being
"loud," repetitious, inconvenient and lacking credibility, heavy online users were the most critical of the Web (see results below).
How heavy users* of media index regarding ads on the
Internet
Magazine Web Newspaper TV Radio
Is amusing 136 109 97 114 111
Provides useful info 128 130 95 98 101
Is funny 125 97 96 118 110
Provides meaningful info 124 113
99 99 100
Provides info about bargains 123 120 103 92 106
Is too loud 119 166 115 84 96
All ads are alike 116
162 99 79 102
Is repeated too often 111 172 106 80 99
Appears at inconvenient times 108 172 107 76 95
Has no credibility
107 168 109 80 93
Source: Mediamark Research Inc. Fall 2002 survey. *The top 20% of consumers ranked by usage.
While consumer perceptions of the
value and relevance of advertising in various media has become a hot button on Madison Avenue, it still is unclear what implications MRI's findings might have for media planning and buying,
however.
"The data itself is interesting, but it asks more questions than it answers," says Susan Nathan, senior vice president-director of media knowledge at Universal McCann., noting,
"Looking at indices can sometimes be very distorting. Without knowing how often heavy users of other media use the Internet, their testimony for me is irrelevant."
In regards to the study's
lukewarm-to-cold reception of online ads, Nathan contends, "People are generally annoyed with advertising no matter what. I certainly don't find it surprising that heavy Internet users find some
negativity in advertising in the medium. I think heavy magazine readers would probably feel the pretty much the same if asked direct questions about advertising in that medium."
While the
study has its limitations, MRI executives maintain it has some strategic planning value.
"Anything that helps people get a better sense of how these ads are received is useful to the
industry," says Anne Marie Kelly, vice president of marketing and strategic planning at MRI.
That debate is likely to be waged again when MRI releases results from its Spring 2003 survey in a
few months.