Online Media By Business Decision Makers.

The Online Publishers Association issued the following statement from its executive director, Michael Zimbalist, pertaining to the results of a washingtonpost.com study conducted with Nielsen//NetRatings @plan and MORI research, which were released earlier today:

“The findings of this washingtonpost.com study provide further proof that online advertising is the best way for smart marketers to reach the most influential audiences.

“Media consumption by business decision makers is shifting to the Internet at the expense of other media. The time that
this group spends online far exceeds the time they spend with any other medium. In addition, these influential decision-makers are using information gathered on the Web to make purchase decisions. It is noteworthy that their usage is
concentrated during the daytime, while they are at work and undistracted by other media choices.

“Furthermore, the washingtonpost.com study found that more than 60% of business decision makers recommended including the Internet in an advertising campaign aimed at reaching them.”

Below are some recent and relevant statistics of note:

– An Arbitron/Edison Media Research study released in September 2002 found that 37% of those online are watching less TV as a result; 31% are spending less time reading newspapers, and 27% are spending less time reading magazines.

– A May 2002 study of comScore Networks revealed that the audience for major newspaper Web sites grew much faster over the past six months than the markets’ total Internet user base in seven of the 10 largest U.S. markets.

– A survey released in March 2002 from Forbes.com showed that C-level executives spend more time during the week online (exclusive of e-mail) than they spend with any other medium.

– An OPA study of At-Work Internet users revealed that online advertising was their preferred way to receive marketing messages about new products and information about companies. Most significantly, online advertising was cited as the number one form of advertising that helps them decide what to buy.

– According to the Department of Commerce/U.S. Census report, “A Nation Online,” released in February 2002, 67% of all managers and professionals access the Internet regularly from work.

Links to the results of the washingtonpost.com study as well as other previously published Internet research can be found at http://www.online-publishers.org/research.html