Football, Newspapers and Cars

A handful of studies have come out this week which again show the evolving nature of our use of the Internet vis-à-vis other media. Here are a couple of tidbits which demonstrate the increased influence the Internet has in our lives. 

This weekend’s beer and chip fest should see a spike in Internet traffic as well. According to a study by comScore Networks fully 72 percent of Internet users intend to go online this weekend. Nielsen Net/Ratings estimates that SuperBowl advertisers will experience a significant increase in traffic the next morning. Last year traffic surged 27 percent, to 22.3m users, the Monday after the game. 

A report released Thursday by the Newspaper Association of America shows that online newspapers drew an average of 53.6 million visitors per month in 2005, and that the average user stayed on longer than in prior years (42 minutes per month). Ironically this report came out in the same week that the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) announced it is coordinating a campaign to demand compensation from Google and other search engines that aggregate their content. Funny, I wonder if they would have received all those site visits without search engine referrals. 

Finally, a report from the Polk Center for Automotive Studies indicates that the Internet has become the most important informational tool for first time vehicle buyers, eclipsing print, television and radio advertising. Although first time buyers tend to be younger, which may skew the results, the Internet has become a preferred car shopping tool for many segments. 

There’s no particular theme here … just my usual rant that consumers are taking things into their own hands, and the more that companies understand and leverage this phenomenon, the better off they’ll be.

Comments

[toby - the diva ;-)]

Received a 'nice letter' from the NYT this week. The Sunday Times' rate is being increased.