Over the past three years the average U.S. adult has nearly doubled their daily use of the Internet as the average U.S. adult spent 2.1 hours per day online in 2006, compared to 3.8 hours in 2008, an 81% increase over three years. As a result, the Internet now represents 32.5% of the typical “media day” for all U.S. adults when compared to daily exposure to newspaper, radio, TV and outdoor advertising. Even those who are considered heavy newspaper readers spend about as much time online today as the typical U.S. adult. Heavy newspaper readers, those who spend more than an hour per day reading, currently spend 3.7 hours per day online. In 2006 the Internet represented only 18.4% of a heavy newspaper reader’s “media day,” but today it represents 28.4%, according to a new report by Media Audit.

The report further reveals that seven daily newspapers have achieved a net unduplicated reach of 80% or more when the past 30-day website visitor figure is combined with the past month print readership figure. Among these newspapers are the:

* New Orleans Times Picayune with a total unduplicated reach of 85.8%
* San Antonio Express-News (80.6%)
* Post-Standard in Syracuse (84%)
* Buffalo News (83.3%)
* Democrat & Chronicle in Rochester (80.9%)
* Peoria Journal Star (80.4%)
* Omaha World Herald (82.2%)

In addition, a new ranking reveals that among the more than 100 daily newspapers measured in the U.S. across 88 markets, New Orleans’ nola.com is the top daily newspaper website based on the percent of adults within a metro area who have visited a daily newspaper website in the past 30 days. Nola.com reaches 50.4% of the more than 800,000 adults who live in the New Orleans metro area. The figure represents 422,354 unique monthly visitors. The website audience, when combined with the Times Picayune’s monthly print readership figures, represents 85.8% total unduplicated reach among adults 18+ in New Orleans for the Advance Publications, Inc. owned newspaper.

San Antonio Express News’ mysa.com tied nola.com with a 50.4% rating, however, the unduplicated reach for the website audience and print readership was 80.6% compared to the Picayune’s 85.8%. Washingtonpost.com ranked third.

Rounding out the top ten daily newspaper websites is Ann Arbor News’ mlive.com, followed by the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s ajc.com, The Post-Standard’s syracuse.com, Indianapolis Star’s indystar.com, Birmingham News’ al.com, Virginian-Pilot’s hamptonroads.com/pilotonline.com, and Reno Gazette-Journal’s rgj.com.

Daily newspapers were the first to embrace a multi-platform distribution strategy amidst a period when consumers were spending more and more time with the Internet. And as a result, newspapers followed the way of the consumer. By doing so, they have broadened their reach to include younger consumers. And these consumers are buying new cars and driving sales for retailers who represent a significant portion of the newspaper industry’s revenue.

27% of Smartphone owners (but only 2% of iPhone owners) indicate that they have not downloaded a single application to their device. Considering the main reason, 41% said they don’t see a need, 33% don’t want to spend the money, and 13% don’t know how.

60% of all Smartphone owners said they spend time looking through all the applications to discover which to download to their phone. 30% of Smartphone owners look for friends / family recommendations and 30% look to see what apps are popular.

1. Motivated by Mobility: Five groups in this typology – making up 39% of the adult population – have seen the frequency of their online use grow as their reliance on mobile devices has increased. For these groups, growth in frequency of online use is linked not only to increasing broadband adoption, but to positive and improving attitudes about how mobile access makes them more available to others. Across the groups, a lot of variation exists regarding what these changes mean to users. Some find this extra connectivity a platform for self expression. Others are not entirely positive about ICTs’ impacts on their lives.

2. Stationary media will do: The remaining 61% of the adult population does not feel the pull of mobility – or anything else – drawing them further into the digital world. Across the five groups that make up this part of the population, several have a lot of technology at hand and have seen their tech assets grow in recent years. Yet ICTs remain on the periphery in their lives, suggesting that some adult Americans reach a plateau in their technology use. Some groups are content with this distant relationship to technology. For others, even a little modern gadgetry is too much.

For 39% of the adult population, mobile and wireline access tools have a symbiotic relationship. Mobile users typically have ready access to high-speed connections at home, which likely pushes them toward deeper home high-speed use; the digital content found on the mobile device may prompt more activity on their broadband-enabled big screen at home.

At the same time, the desktop internet experience migrates to “on the go” as the handheld becomes a complementary access point to connect with people and digital content wherever a wireless network reaches. The five groups reliant on stationary media tools show no growth (or declines) in the frequency of online use even though more of them have broadband access. They show low levels of use of mobile applications and decidedly tepid attitudes about ICTs.

In other words, 61% of the adult population have a settled disposition toward ICTs and – whether they experience information overload, difficulties in getting gadgets to function, or frustration when the cell phone rings – are not rapidly becoming more active users of ICTs.

Razorfish, one of the largest digital marketing companies in the world, declared in its fifth annual Digital Outlook Report that television has morphed from a mass distribution channel to a collection of interactive and personal experiences. The report,  provides insightful industry commentary on topics such as the future of TV and Social Influence Marketing™ and examines media buying, planning and distribution trends from the past year.

Razorfish publishes the report to help marketers make smarter choices about their digital media spend and investments in digital marketing channels.

“Marketers have been talking over the past few years about the long tail of the Internet, but now we are seeing the development of a long tail of television,” said Terri Walter, vice president of emerging media at Razorfish. “TV is alive and well, but the viewing experience is moving from mass to niche in terms of both audiences and programming as consumers divide their time between computer screens, TV sets, mobile devices, gaming systems and set-top boxes. As viewership fragments, advertisers must find a way to adopt their messages to smaller, but potentially more valuable audiences.”

In addition to exploring the fundamental shift happening in television, the Razorfish Digital Outlook Report offers insights into digital media trends that are affecting the media industry overall, and in particular, search and social media. For example, Razorfish saw a significant increase in client spending in paid search, which rose from 31% in 2007 to 36% in 2008.

“As the economy began to soften toward the end of the year, we witnessed a renewed focus on search because it delivers a stronger ROI than many other tactics,” said Sarah Baehr, vice president and national media lead at Razorfish. “We also saw a continued shift in digital ad spending toward niche sites as clients realize the value of targeting precise audience groups.”

The comprehensive report provides research, predictions and recommendations from agency thought leaders and a stellar group of guest contributors. Key findings include:

• Explosion of Social Influence Marketing™ – Razorfish predicts “Your CEO will join Facebook” this year. The traditional C-Suite is finally responding to the pressure that social influencers have on their brands, and they’re getting onboard. The Digital Outlook Report discusses ways to measure the value of social influencers, including the proprietary Razorfish Generational Action Tag technology.
• Findings on the “connected class” – Razorfish found that those in the digitally savvy, 18-25 age group are becoming more selective and sophisticated in their digital choices, and are not afraid to ignore superfluous online video content or reduce the number of their ‘connections’ on social networking sites. Marketers would do well to respect the discerning nature of the “connected class.”
• Defining a new retail experience – As customers are now demanding the same level of personalization in brick-and-mortar stores as they receive online, retailers need to deploy modern tools such as digital in-store signage, coupons delivered via mobile devices and interactive store floor plans and merchandise directories.
• Annual “Publisher of the Year” award – Razorfish’s media team named New York Times Digital, Yahoo! and FM Publishing this year’s publishers of the year based on their service, creativity, responsiveness and the ability to deliver meaningful solutions to the agency and its clients.

As in previous years, the Digital Outlook Report incorporates essays from guest writers who bring fresh insights into all things digital. The 2009 report includes contributions from Mike Steib, director of Google TV Ads; Davina Kent, director of strategic alliances, Comcast; media visionary and consultant Jack Meyers; Dean Carignan, director, advertising business group, entertainment & devices division, Microsoft and Mark Kroese, general manager, advertising business group, entertainment & devices division, Microsoft; and Alec Gerster, CMO, Navic.
About Razorfish
Razorfish is one of the largest interactive marketing and technology companies in the world. With a demonstrated commitment to innovation, Razorfish counsels its clients on how to leverage digital channels such as the Web, mobile devices, in-store technologies and other emerging media to engage people, build brand loyalty and provide excellent customer service. The company is increasingly advising marketers on Social Influence Marketing™, its approach for employing social media and social influencers to achieve the marketing and business needs of an organization. Its award-winning client teams provide solutions through their strategic counsel, digital advertising and content creation, media buying, analytics, technology and user experience. Razorfish has offices in markets across the United States, and in Australia, China, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom. Clients include Carnival Cruise Lines, MillerCoors, Levi’s, McDonald’s and Starwood Hotels. Visit http://www.razorfish.com for more information.
Contacts:
Sally O’Dowd Sally.odowd (at) razorfish (dot) com (direct) +1.312.696.5068 (mobile) +1.773.458.3740
Katie Lamkin Katie.lamkin (at) razorfish (dot) com (direct) +1.312.696.5241 (mobile) +1.773.308.3425

Currently 15% of online American adults said they used a service like Twitter or another service that allowed them to share updates about themselves or to see the updates of others. Back in December 11% and in November 9% of internet users used Twitter or updated their status online and in May of 2008, 6% of internet users responded yes to a slightly different question, where users were asked if they used “Twitter or another ‘microblogging’ service to share updates about themselves or to see updates about others.”

What is Twitter
Brief history of Twitter which is the most well known. First made available to those online in August 2006. Twitter allows users to send messages, known as “tweets” from a computer or a mobile device like a mobile phone, Blackberry or iPhone. Users of the service are asked to post messages of no more than 140 characters and those messages are delivered to others who have signed up to receive them such as family, friends or colleagues.

A small survey from Nielsen about the five fastest growing “member community destinations” in the U.S. reveals what we all kind of knew already: Twitter is at the top. From February 2008 to February 2009, it clocked in at a whopping 1,382% growth rate. That’s to be expected, considering the amount of press the still-without-a-business-model microblogging service has gotten in recent months. In third place is Facebook, with 228% growth year-over-year according to Nielsen. That’s not terribly surprising, as Facebook is still growing in the U.S. but not quite as exponentially as it once was.

There are, beyond that, a handful of interesting things to note. Two of Nielsen’s top five, for example, aren’t social networks but rather wiki creation services: Zimbio (240% growth) and Wikia (172% growth). And in fourth place is Multiply, which probably got a surge of activity when it recently acquired the MSN Groups service that Microsoft was spinning off.

How Tweeters Tweet
Twitter users and status updaters are a mobile bunch; as a group they are much more likely to be using wireless technologies laptops, handhelds and cell phones for internet access, or cell phones for text messaging.

More than three-quarters (76%) of Twitter users use the internet wirelessly – either on a laptop with a wireless connection, or via PDA, handheld or cell phone. In comparison, 57% of those who go online but do not use Twitter, and 59% of internet users as a whole connect to the internet wirelessly. Overall, cell phone ownership among Twitter users is comparable to the online population as a whole, but Twitter users are more likely to use their cell phone to text and go online.

More than four in five (82%) Twitter users have a cell phone and use it to send text messages, while 59% of those who go online but do not use Twitter (and 61% of the internet-using population at large) own a cell phone and use it to send text messages.

Twitter users are also more likely to use their cell phones to connect to the internet; fully two in five (40%) Twitterers with cell phones use the device to connect to the internet, while one quarter (24%) of those who go online but do not use Twitter do the same.

Along with communicating extensively via untethered mobile devices, Twitter users are more likely to consume news and information on these devices as well. For many Twitter users, learning about and sharing relevant and recent nuggets of information is a primary utility of the service. While Twitter users are just as likely as others to consume news on any given day, they are more likely to consume it on mobile devices and less likely to engage with news via more traditional outlets.

Twitterers are less likely to read a printed copy of a newspaper, but more likely to read a newspaper online (76% vs. 60% of non-Twitter users), and more likely to read a news story on a cell phone (14% vs. 6%) or on a smart phone (17% vs. 7%).

A similar pattern holds for video news consumption; on any given day, Twitter users are just as likely as others to watch news on a TV, and just as likely to watch video news on a computer, but more likelcell phone (6% vs. 1%) or on a smart phone (8% vs. 1%).

Several trends are emerging as mobile matures into a medium that, while not without flaws, is a more palatable option than other marketing channels in use. The emphasis, however, should be on mobile’s complementary nature – it gives legs to other channels, including retail, online, television, print, coupons, radio, outdoor, direct mail and insert media.

Top of the trends list is the consumer’s growing comfort with consuming news and content on mobile phones, along with exchanging SMS text messages, shopping for products and services, checking email, playing games, conducting mobile banking transactions and searching for retail locations or driving directions.

Indeed, the mobile channel’s use as a location-enabling tool is quickly becoming evident to brands, ad agencies, retailers and, most importantly, consumers.

Marketing mobile
Marketers must remember that mobile cannot, and must not, be treated like other mass mediums out there.

Mobile is a highly personal channel, with attendant sensitivities and double opt-in permission requirements.

So it’s not the quantity that should matter for marketers looking to incorporate mobile into their multichannel marketing plans. It’s the quality – and that’s where mobile excels.

While the economy could be better, that hasn’t stopped consumers from quickly shifting to mobile many tasks that previously were conducted on computers.

The choice for marketers and ad agencies then is not to deliberate whether to have an SMS program or mobile banner ads or a mobile Web site or a mobile coupon program or a .mobi domain or an iPhone/BlackBerry/Android application.

Instead, the decision to be made is which one of these options – or a combination – is relevant for the brand in its efforts to reach consumers through multiple, relevant touch points.

Smart marketers and agencies will think like smart fishermen: fish where the fish are. Consumers have already moved to mobile, and are staying there for a long time.

Marketers should focus this year and next on using mobile – especially SMS and applications – to build databases of consumers who have opted in not once but twice to receive targeted offers, alerts and information from marketers.

A marketer without a mobile loyalty program in 2009 or 2010 will risk losing customers to competitors who have such efforts in place.

Essential reading for brands, ad agencies, publishers
Mobile Marketer’s Mobile Outlook 2009 is a must-read for executives working at brands, ad agencies, media and publishing firms, mobile marketing service providers, nonprofits, carriers and other marketing decision-makers.

This edition, our second, will give the reader a lay of the land of what to expect in the world of mobile marketing, media and commerce. The articles and commentary spell out the opportunities and the challenges ahead.

We owe many thanks to the senior executives from mobile marketing firms who spent time and effort working with us in the production of this Classic Guide. The players mentioned in these pages are key to the growth of mobile marketing.

Associate editor Giselle Abramovich and staff reporter Dan Butcher worked hard to produce this work of intelligence that will no doubt leave the reader smarter, if not wiser, about the opportunities ahead.

Art director Rob DiGioia also slaved to ensure that the edition’s reading experience was effortless and eye-friendly. And director of ad sales Jodie Solomon was hard at work, too.

Please read this edition from cover to cover. Reach out to the marketers mentioned. Send Mobile Outlook 2009 to colleagues, friends and clients. It works best when smart advice is shared with smart people to produce smarter thinking. It will certainly get your smartphone ringing.

Please click here to download a PDF copy of Mobile Marketer’s Mobile Outlook 2009.

Editor in Chief Mickey Alam Khan covers advertising agencies, associations, research, and column submissions. Reach him at mickey@mobilemarketer.com.

Like this article? Sign up for a free subscription to Mobile Marketer’s must-read newsletters on mobile marketing. Click here!

Smart Phones Move to the MID
Among the MID devices included in the forecast period from 2008 to 2012, smart phones are projected to dominate the segment. Estimates that about 60% of all smart phones now are considered MID-class devices, but that figure will rise to cover 100% by 2012. A key gating factor is the inclusion of WLAN or 3G connectivity, and applications like video downloads, gaming and full Internet browsing will proliferate when smart phones attain 3G-speed downlink and uplink capabilities.

E-book Readers Open MID Chapter
Despite their relatively recent arrival on the scene, e-book readers already have achieved 35% MID penetration as of 2008, which will then rise to 76% by 2012. The high penetration primarily is driven by the success of Amazon’s Kindle, with 100% WWAN penetration; and of Sony’s counterpart, the Sony Reader, which has 25% WLAN penetration. Kindle, for instance, integrates ubiquitous wireless connectivity within the e-book reader to deliver real-time news, on-the-go media purchasing and even e-mail applications.

Ultra-Mobile PCs and netbooks adopt MID capabilities
A mere 2% of all UMPCs were considered to be MID-class in 2008, but the figure is expected to grow to 28% by 2012. Key factors increasing MID penetration in this area include continued improvements to instant-on capabilities and battery-life performance.

Gaming Devices
Only a small segment of gaming devices—many lack 3G-or-better connectivity features—meet the MID criterias, 2.8% can be considered MID-class by 2011 if the full set of criteria is brought to bear, with the rate increasing markedly to 15.1% the year after. However, if the requirement for ubiquitous coverage is relaxed to cover only WLAN, then the percentage of gaming devices that can be considered MID-class shoots up to 98.6% in 2008, with the figure rising to 100% by 2011.

PMP/MP3 Players
Portable Media Players (PMP)/MP3 players, no significant volume shipments occurred as of 2008. Only 3% of the devices will be MID-class by 2012, but a potential upside to this market exists if manufacturers increase the amount of WWAN support for the players, which are capable of delivering rich multimedia content and experience.

PNDs
Among Portable Navigation Devices (PNDs), a mere 0.22% currently are MID-class-capable, with the number growing to 10% by 2012. The one criterion driving PNDs for MID functionality is the rate of wireless connectivity, primarily through WWAN. Once enabled, PNDs allow the implementation of solutions such as real-time traffic, rerouting, remote map and database updates, location-aware advertising and purchasing of services such as fast-food orders and gas purchases. PNDs are also unique among MID devices in that they have the automobile as a power source and are, therefore, not limited by battery-life constraints.

According to surveys through 2008 by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, larger percentages of older generations are online now than in the past, and they are doing more activities online. Generation X (not Y) is the most likely group to bank, shop, and look for health information online. Boomers are just as likely as Generation Y to make travel reservations online. And even Silent Generation internet users are competitive when it comes to email.
The biggest increase in internet use since 2005 is the 70-75 year-old age group. While just over one-fourth (26%) of 70-75 year olds were online in 2005, 45% of that age group is currently online, and doing more activities online.

Instant messaging, social networking, and blogging have gained ground as communications tools, but email remains the most popular online activity, particularly among older internet users, writes Sydney Jones and Susannah Fox in the report. 74% of internet users age 64 and older send and receive email, making email the most popular online activity for this age group. 89% of teens claimed to use email in 2004. Now, just 73% currently say they use email.

Teens and Generation Y (age 18-32) are more likely than their older counterparts to seek entertainment through online videos, online games, and virtual worlds, and they are also more likely to download music to listen to later.

78% of     12-17 year-old internet users play games online
73% of     online teens email, the second most popular activity for this age    group
only 50% of Generation Y play online games
The report says that health questions drive internet users age 73 and older to the internet just as frequently as they drive Generation Y.  Researching health information is the third most popular online activity with the most senior age group, after email and online search.

Generation X (ages 33-44) continues to lead in online shopping:

80% of Generation     X internet users buy products online
71% of     internet users ages 18- 32 buy products online
38% of     online teens buy products online
56% of     internet users ages 64-72 do
47% of     internet users age 73 and older buy online
67% Generation X internet users lead in online banking, while  57% of Generation Y to do their banking online, up from 38% in 2005. There has been no significant growth among older generations when it comes to banking online

Downloading videos is now being done more equally across all generations under 73 years old.

31% of     Generation X claim to download videos as of 2007
38% of     Generation Y downloaded videos
13% of     G.I. Generation internet users (age 73+) reported downloading videos,     up from 1% in 2005
13% of     the online Silent Generation (ages 64-72) say they download videos,     up from 8% in 2005
Who are these people…

Generations Explained

Generation            Birth Years  Ages in 2009  % Of Total Adult Population  % Of Internet-Using Population

Gen Y (Millennials) 1977-1990  18-32                      26%                                      30%

Gen X                    1965-1976  33-44                      20%                                       23%

Younger Boomers  1955-1964  45-54                      20%                                       22%

Older Boomers       1946-1954  55-63                     13%                                       13%

Silent Generation    1937-1945  64-72                      9%                                          7%

G.I. Generation       <1936          73+                         9%                                          4%

Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project December 2008 survey, February 2009

Effectiveness of Email Marketing
Students can be an elusive demographic for marketers. Staying on top of constantly evolving trends is the key to gaining trust and staying relevant to the student market, but another challenge in reaching them is knowing which channel will carry and present your message most effectively. Students, on average, read marketing emails on a “rarely to never” basis, with 61% falling into this category. Only 16% are reading marketing emails on a frequent basis, while 66% of students rarely or never take action on marketing emails. Most college students do not feel that companies are effectively speaking to them personally.

Most college students do not feel that companies’ advertising is not effectively speaking to them personally:

* 60% of students take action upon receiving an email only if they are interested in the product
* 47% take action if they are attracted to a special offer
* 11% of students take action because of the design of an email

Email vs. Social Networks
It’s clear that students have adopted email, but students were also among the earliest adopters of social networks. Are students moving away from email and toward social networks as their preferred method of online communication? Email is a dying channel, especially among students. Speculations that social networking has taken over and that students are now using email primarily to sign up for social networking sites and receive email alerts. 36% of students use email alerts to keep up to date on what’s happening on their social networks and only about one-quarter of students originally got an email address for social networking purposes. Approximately one-quarter got an email address for the ability to buy online. The majority of students (81%) got an email address for communicating with family and 52% for communicating with friends.

83% of college students use Facebook, 65% use MySpace and 21% use LinkedIn. With over one-fifth of college students using LinkedIn, this is one area of opportunity for marketers to reach students where their competitors may not be. Overall there is a very minor increase in email usage since getting an initial email address. It appears that students had a real and determined need for email when they first set up an email address – not just for the purpose of setting up a social network.

Student Trends – Communication Habits and Preferences
Relevancy is more important than ever, considering the amount of Spam flooding the average student’s inbox. With over two-thirds of students checking email at least once per day, and 55% of those checking more than 3 times per day, there’s no doubt that students are aware of the emails that hit their inbox and are looking for those compelling emails that go above and beyond to resonate with them.

The study identifies the channels are students using most. The preferred means of communication for college students are:

* Text messaging (37%)
* Email (26%)
* Social networking IM (15%)
* Instant messaging (11%)
* Social networking email (11%)
* And 12% of students check email on a mobile device

Ultimately, marketers need to ensure their products are relevant and take the time to craft emails that truly speak to students. Overall, email plays an important role in college students’ life as a personal communication device, but not as a major marketing channel. Ultimately, marketers need to ensure their products are relevant and take the time to craft emails that truly speak to students. Consider email in your marketing mix to college students, but creating a comprehensive marketing plan that is made up of social networking, email marketing and text messaging is going to be the most effective way to reach your audience and gain mindshare.

8% of those who are over the age of 65 use SMS, and 4% subscribe to social networks. Another surprising data point is that 42% of teens prefer to communicate via SMS, yet 62% prefer to receive promotions via email vs. only 1% via SMS. The new study by ExactTarget confirms that there are marked differences between age groups not only in the usage of media, but also their acceptance of and attitudes towards each type and using multiple forms of media concurrently. And, consumer profiles and habits are changing… sometimes dramatically. A majority of people prefer to communicate with friends and family via the phone rather than email. This preference is positively correlated with age.

Highlights of six personas and how they interact with different media include:

Wired Consumers tend to be young males, between the ages of 18 and 34 years old, without kids. They are employed full-time or self employed, have a good income-an annual household income of at least $35K-and have at least a college education. 20% of Wired Users subscribed for marketing communications via SMS (more so than any other group) but want to receive texts only for urgent customer service issues, like financial alerts or travel updates. Consumers in this group are exposed to more media throughout the day than any other group, primarily though computers. These consumers spend an average of 8 hours a day on their computers accessing the internet, email, and using some sort of computer software, including games. By comparison, exposure to television and radio is relatively low, but not nominal, at nearly 3 hours of television a day. In addition to computer and television time, these consumers are on the phone an average of one hour per day. More than two-thirds of phone time is on a landline phone.

Young Homemakers are females, between the ages of 18 and 34 years old, who consider “homemaker” to be their primary occupation, and typically have an annual household income of at least $35K. Over half of Young Homemakers use social networks and SMS during the day, but direct mail and email are their preferred marketing channels. Across the board, Young Homemakers spend approximately 40% of their day exposed to 2 or more forms of media concurrently. Young Homemakers’ media use is split between two subgroups: heavy traditional media consumers (High Media), and low traditional media consumers (Low Media). The Low Media group is slightly larger than the High Media group. Within the High Media group, television watching is among the highest in the study at just over 6 hours of television exposure per day. For the Low Media group, television viewing is less than 2 hours per day. The High Media group spends more time online, almost 3 hours a day, compared to an average of 1-2 hours per day for the Low Media group. Additionally, the High Media group spends more time reading magazines and newspapers, 40 minutes per day, compared to approximately 10 minutes per day for the Low Media group. Personal communication is a high priority and Young Homemakers don’t want to be interrupted. For them, it is about feeling in control and being heard. Marketers should seek to build an opt-in relationship with this group for email, or leverage their affinity to direct mail with relevant, helpful information and products.

Retired consumers spend more of their day with the television on than any other group (more than 7 hours per day on average). They also spend a significant amount of time reading a combination of newspapers and books. The time they spend reading magazines is consistent with other groups, less than 10 minutes on average per day. And, men tend to spend more time listening to the radio than women. This group consists exclusively of people who have retired, and includes both men and women, though the sample is skewed toward male respondents (57%). Of this group, 80% have attended college, and 41% received at least a Bachelor’s degree. 81% of the Retired community purchased online and 94% have been influenced by some form of direct marketing to make a purchase Unlike younger consumers, little of their day is spent with more than one media form at a time. Only 15% of media exposure is concurrent. Relatively, they spend only a small amount of time online. For those people who are online, using email is a central component of their internet experience. Mobile email is virtually non-existent, only 3% have a smartphone capable of sending and receiving mobile email. Retired consumers prefer traditional direct channels. Of interest is the reality that email now fits into this category, along with direct mail and telemarketing.

College Students, predominantly 18-24 year olds in the sample, believe private communication channels (e.g., SMS, social networks) are off-limits for marketers. College Students want to keep personal and business affairs separate. Marketers should remember that email is the channel for “official” communications. Media exposure within this group varies dramatically, making generalizations difficult. That said, on average media exposure is generally lower than may be commonly believed, marked primarily by relatively low exposure to television in the typical day. College students are heavy internet users, and spend considerable time reading books, listening to music, and watching movies. Significant portions of their day is spent using media concurrently, with the computer seldom far away. The heavy time demands of college study and college life shape the media usage for this persona; there may be a tendency to favor media that allows the user control over where and when they are used. Time with media tends to be an even mix between home and school access.

Teens consist exclusively of high school students between 15 and 17 years of age. The sample skews slightly higher than average in annual household income. Though Teens use social networking more than any other group, they are more likely to make a purchase from direct mail, followed by email, SMS, and social network sites. In out-of-school settings, Teens engage heavily with the computer, television, print (in the form of magazines), and music through MP3 players. Aside from reading school textbooks, teens are heavily inclined toward screen-based media, frequently having more than one such medium accessible at a time for inbound or outbound communications purposes, entertainment etc. Teens are open to marketing through a variety of channels, and nothing is completely off the table, which requires allocating resources to multiple communication channels and providing individuals with a choice.

Established Professionals are moderate media consumers. Television exposure is near average at approximately 3 hours per day, while radio exposure is the highest of any group identified (more than 3 hours per day on average), much of which happens in the car commuting for work. They are online multiple times throughout the day, typically spending more time online at work than at home. They are average consumers of newspapers and magazines. This group consists of professionals employed full-time, age 35 or more, with annual household incomes greater than $75K per year. 65% are between the ages of 35 and 54 years of age. The sample is evenly split between men and women Within the group of Established Professionals, women are more likely than men to use new digital media channels like IM, SMS, and social networking to communicate with friends and family. 92% of consumers in this group, both men and women, have made an online purchase For Established Professionals, it’s about email and direct mail…and that’s it. The take-away is that there is big opportunity with this group. Marketers need to focus on relevance, because this group has money to spend and does so frequently.