Internet users are spending more time online than with any other media, with 35% of US respondents watching less television and nearly as many spending less time with magazines, according to a new survey by BURST! Media.
Out of 2,600 web users, 60% claimed they spent more time on the internet today than a year ago, with 32.2% spending “much more time” and 28% “somewhat more time”. Meanwhile, one quarter of respondents say they are spending less time today listening to radio or reading newspapers compared to the same period in 2004.
Commenting on the findings, Chuck Moran, BURST! Media’s market research manager said: “Consumers are continuing to spend their media time among various media types. This has made it increasingly difficult for marketers to not only reach their target consumer, but also get their attention.”
Meanwhile, a recent Carat Insight analysis of data from Mediamark Research Inc and Multimedia Scan revealed that US adults who go online most frequently watch more television and read more newspapers, compared to their non-internet-using counterparts (see Frequent Internet Users Consume More Multi-Media).
However, results from the latest Simultaneous Media Usage Survey, conducted at the beginning of the year estimate television viewing to be down by 2.5% as a direct result of multi-tasking (see TV Viewing Down Due To Multi-Tasking).
The prevalence of internet usage revealed by the BURST! Media report signals the importance of the media for advertisers, with Moran adding: “Clearly advertisers are going where the audiences are going, as spending on the internet also continues to grow.”
All age categories are reported to be spending more time online, with 62% of teens and 60% of 18-24s, claiming they were spending more time on the internet today than a year ago.
Online advertising spend growth is outpacing other mediums, with research group Forrester predicting online advertising and marketing expenditure in the US is to reach $14.7 billion in 2005, with online advertising channels such as search engine marketing, online display adverts and email marketing continuing to become more effective, relative to traditional channels (see US Online Ad and Marketing Spend To Reach $14.7 Billion in 2005).
Marketers are shown to be quickly losing confidence in the effectiveness of traditional advertising channels, feeling that online platforms will become more effective over the next three years
Earlier this month US analyst, eMarketer, released new forecasts for 2005 advertising expenditure, predicting online advertising to rise by nearly 34% in 2005 to about $13 billion (see Online Adspend To Hit $13 Billion In 2005).
A report published earlier this year by Jupiter Research predicts US online adspend will reach $16.1 billion by 2009, almost doubling 2004’s figure of $8.4 billion (see Frequent Internet Users Consume More Multi-Media).
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