Teaching New Dogs Old Tricks
Online's more mainstream, so mainstream rules apply even more.
Online's more mainstream, so mainstream rules apply even more.
Who knew that in a matter of a few years (eight, to be exact) since the first online ad was sold, we’d be using the term “daypart”? It’s part and parcel of the offline world but a stumbling block for many in interactive. As you well know, many online media planner/buyers (and sales folks, for that matter) only have online experience.
The Web is the most powerful medium for advertisers to reach business decision makers, according to a recent Nielsen//NetRatings (NNR)/Washington Post survey. Key findings include the following:
Before we beat our collective chests, remember this is one survey of about 1,000 people. My hat’s off to the results, but as online advertisers we must be cognizant of other facts and figures. I’m hoping other research firms, industry nonprofits, and large online publishers will jump on this bandwagon and provide us with more of these much-needed stats.
Until they do, let’s pay close attention to the obvious. No matter how the data is sliced and diced, the Internet is becoming the preferred medium at work. Advertisers should pay close attention to the activities and lifestyles of those most likely to work in an office.
When advertising to the at-work audience, consider the following:
Several stats report the size of this audience. According to NNR in August 2002, usage is 45 million. Jupiter Research (a unit of ClickZ’s parent corporation) ranks it at 33 million. There’s been roughly a 36 percent increase over two years.
One out of five Americans feels the Internet is the “most essential” medium in his life, according to a new Arbitron/Edison Media Research study. It reports 34 percent of Americans chose the Internet as the coolest and most exciting medium, compared to 35 percent who felt TV was the best medium. Among those 12 to 34 year olds, 46 percent of respondents chose the Internet as the best medium, compared to 29 percent who felt TV was.
Smart media folks build strategic media consumption across the board. Time and relevance are key factors to effectively reach an at-home or at-work audience. Age-old offline media practices still have practical applications.
Why reinvent the wheel when we can use what’s worked for years?