• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, November 8, 2004

For all the incursions of new digital media, television remains the "greatest" overall media experience among consumers by a margin of nearly two-to-one over the next most dominant medium, the Internet. But asked, which medium they "prefer" the most, more consumers would choose the Internet. These are among the key findings of a new study of consumer preferences for media conducted recently by InsightExpress.

The research also found that while TV still is the first medium Americans "turn to" and the one they consider "easiest to use," they consider the Internet to be the one that is most "informative," and perhaps more importantly, the one that offers the "greatest control."

Preferred Over All Others

TV              39% 
Magazines
2% 
Newspapers       8%   
Internet        40% 
Radio            4% 

All Are Equal   12% 

Source: InsightExpress. Base = 500 people surveyed online on Sept. 17, 2004.

The findings show that all other media - including magazines, newspapers and radio - pale in comparison with TV and the Internet. They also reveal that the next generation of digital media technologies may be tipping the hand in favor of the Internet.

Among households with digital video recorders - a technology that ostensibly would seem to give consumers more control over and satisfaction with television - respondents were even more disposed toward the Internet.

While 42 percent of non-DVR owners cited TV as the first medium they "turn to," only 33 percent of DVR owners cited it. Conversely, a greater number (40 percent) of DVR owners said they turn to the Internet first than non-DVR owners (33 percent).

While the study did not break out how other new media technologies are impacting consumer media preferences per se, Lee Smith, president-COO of InsightExpress, said some might also be tilting preferences in favor of the Internet.

"My bet as a researcher is that broadband households would be slightly more favorable about the Internet," he said.

"What this is telling us is that people value control. They value the information content on the Internet and I think it's only a matter of time before the broadband capacity of the Internet catches up and drives the entertainment value of the Internet making it more competitive with television."

Consumer Preferences By Media Attribute

              Provides       Is The   Gives Me    Is The    Is the 
              Greatest
Most   Greatest   First I   Easiest 
            Experience  Informative    Control   Turn On    To Use 
TV                 46%          20%        22%       40%       42% 
Magazines
3%           5%         3%        1%        3% 
Newspapers          3%          23%         9%       12%        7% 
Internet           27%          37%        49%       34%       24% 
Radio
3%           4%         2%        9%        7% 

All Are Equal      18%          11%        15%        5%       17% 

Source: InsightExpress. Base = 500 people surveyed online on Sept. 17, 2004.