| Web Plays Critical Role in Both Online and Offline Purchase Decisions for Affluent Adults, According to New Study
Survey by Nielsen//NetRatings and washingtonpost.com Looks at the Web Usage and Purchasing Habits of Affluent Adults
Arlington, Va - February 27, 2003 - A new study shows that affluent adults rely heavily on the Internet to make and research purchases. The online study, which was jointly conducted by washingtonpost.com and Nielsen//NetRatings, also found that affluent adults access the Web nearly every day, and use it far more than any other media during the day. The study, which surveyed 956 washingtonpost.com users, shows just how important Web advertising has become in influencing both online and offline purchases of affluent Americans. For the purposes of this study, washingtonpost.com and Nielsen//NetRatings defined affluent adults as washingtonpost.com users making over $100,000 annual household income. The results of this study are especially important for marketers because, according to another recent study by Nielsen//NetRatings (Sept, 2002), the fastest growing income group online is making between $100,000 and $149,000. Among the key findings of the washingtonpost.com-Nielsen//NetRatings affluent survey are: · Virtually all affluent adult shoppers use the Web to make or research their purchases. For automobile, computer and travel purchases, use of the Web was extraordinarily high (over 90% of those surveyed). · Affluent adults access the Web almost every day from either work or home and the Web dominates their weekday media usage. · The majority of affluent adults who purchase luxury items and various professional services say the Web is the best place for advertisers to reach them. · Web advertising and newspaper advertising are statistically tied as the #1 media for influencing purchase decisions of affluent adults. For detailed results and methodology visit: www.washingtonpost.com/affluentsurvey "The bottom line is that retailers and manufacturers need to advertise on the Web if they want to influence Americans with high purchasing power," said Christopher M. Schroeder, CEO and publisher of Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive. "The messages that affluent Americans see on the Web are having a very real impact on their purchasing decisions. This study supports the findings from our own case studies - that messages being delivered on the Web are heavily influencing both online and offline sales." This survey is part of an effort by washingtonpost.com and Nielsen//NetRatings to better understand how key online audience segments view and use the Web. In September of 2002, the two companies released a groundbreaking survey looking at how business decision makers use the Web (for more information, visit www.washingtonpost.com/decisionmakers). The survey released today is one of the first to look at how affluent Americans use the Web when making purchase decisions. "The study provides evidence that affluent Americans are relying heavily on the Web when making purchase decisions and marketers targeting this segment of the population can use this knowledge to better plan their advertising campaigns," said Carolyn Clark, senior Internet analyst, Nielsen//NetRatings. "The Internet is not simply being used as an electronic shopping mall, but as a primary resource for understanding and researching purchases." About Nielsen//NetRatings Nielsen//NetRatings is the global standard for digital media measurement and analysis and is the industry's premier source for online advertising intelligence with its NetView, AdRelevance, @Plan and WebRF services. Covering 70 percent of the world's Internet usage, the Nielsen//NetRatings services offer syndicated Internet and digital media ratings reports and custom-tailored data to help companies gain valuable insight into their business. For more information, please visit www.nielsen-netratings.com. washingtonpost.com is an award-winning news, information and entertainment resource on the World Wide Web. Local, national and international users look to washingtonpost.com as the source of The Washington Post online. The site offers the day. s Washington Post, continually updated news coverage, breaking stories and extensive original content, as well as a growing suite of cultural, community and commerce services that make it the definitive guide to Greater Washington. washingtonpost.com is published by Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive, the new-media and electronic-publishing subsidiary of The Washington Post Company. (NYSE:WPO). ### 2/27/03 |
