Michael Zimbalist, executive director of the Online Publishers Association, said "The recent ... shifting media consumption patterns of 18 to 34 year-olds demands a deeper look into this important consumer segment. Because this group represents the first 'generation' to have grown up with the Internet, their behavior patterns are a harbinger of future media consumption of the population at large."

Ellen Oppenheim, Executive Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer, MPA, said "We're seeing a shift in trends from the last couple of years. For example, the Financial, Insurance & Real Estate category, which has been greatly impacted by the struggling economy, registered an uptick in March and first quarter overall. Conversely, a different spending pattern appears to be emerging in 2004 for Automotive, which includes launches scheduled towards the latter part the year."

Completed in the Fall of 2003, the BIGresearch SIMM Survey provides interesting insights not only into "the fact of" multiple media usage, but what they're doing in each case. The survey shows that over 70% of consumers, at one time or another, use media simultaneously. The study poses the ultimate challenge for media companies and marketers...who's paying attention to what?

An ACNielsen survey of small business owners or decision makers who made a business purchase on eBay within the past 12 months, and general small business executives, about their growth plans and Internet usage, found that nearly 90% of the eBay group uses the Internet to research business purchases, and 80% access industry expertise online.

Of particular interest this week is the expanded collective coverage incorporating not only top sites in the category, but digging down deeper for demographic composition, ad technologies, ad sizes and delivery methods. The where, the who, and the how provide a more effective analytic package for media buyers and planners.

Leslie Marable, senior Internet analyst, Nielsen//NetRatings, said "For millions of prospective students and parents, the Web has become the most utilized tool in getting ready for college. Universities and other educational organizations have turned activities such as registering for tests and applying to schools into a seamless transaction online."

According to a study from BIGresearch, the purchase decisions of consumers who plan to buy or lease a car in the next six months are likely to be influenced by gas prices, but more than 28 percent of those consumers are still considering the purchase of an SUV.

"Dieters," says Bob Jordan, president of International Demographics Jordan, "are, for the most part, a very affluent group with active lifestyles." Dieters aren't all women. And they aren't all white. In 1998, 34.8 percent were men. That increased to 37.4 percent in 2003. Approximately 24.6 percent of white adults diet, compared to 25.6 percent of Hispanics and 23.5 percent of African-Americans. Among Asians, just 17.3 percent diet.

According to the latest study by the Radicati Group, the number of spam messages worldwide has grown 115% from 15 billion in 2003, to 35 billion spam messages in 2004. Despite recent legislation, such as the US federal CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, corporate organizations and consumers are investing more than ever in anti-spam technology.

While 91% of students have PCs and 84% own televisions, differences exist between male and female students and the technology they own. More female college students own cellphones, calculators and answering machines than male students. On the other hand, more male students own portable video game players and MP3 players.