• Brandweek, Friday, March 23, 2007 11:15 AM

Traditional advertising has a big role in getting consumers to search for merchandise on the Internet, according to research from the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association and BIGresearch. About half say they take their cues from TV, magazine and newspaper ads to decide when and where to shop online.

By order of preference, 47% said they turned to magazine ads, followed by TV commercials and newspaper ads at 43% each. In-store promotions moved 27%, and when it cones to coupons, far more women than men used them for online guidance, at 42% of women and only 29% of men.

The findings apparently reinforce evidence that agencies are collecting, indicating on- and off-line marketing efforts work better than Web or off-line alone. "When it comes to advertising, retailers always need to be careful not to put all of their eggs in one basket," says Mike Gatti, executive director of RAMA. "While search engine marketing continues to be a popular strategy, retailers should not lose sight of traditional advertising channels to promote products and services."

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