Survey: Consumers prefer local Web media ads

A 2008 survey by the Online Publishers Association, conducted in the spring of 2008, has found consumers are more likely to buy products based on local online media websites than looking at a local ad on a portal such as Yahoo.

That's good news for print and broadcast industries, which are still experimenting with multimedia and trying to find ways to change with evolving consumer demands while also creating successful online advertising models.

According to the Online Publishers Association study, 46 percent of consumers are likely to take action after seeing an advertisement on a newspaper's website, compared to 37 percent of consumers who act after looking at a local ad on a portal. Local television stations ranked a close second at 44 percent, with magazine sites standing at 42 percent.

"Online advertising is already a powerful medium to access a highly desirable market for advertisers: people at work," said Jon Rust, publisher of the Southeast Missourian. "Throughout the work day, people check our website regularly for news and news updates, more so than how people use radio, which used to be the prime medium to reach the at-work audience."

2,069 consumers polled

The group surveyed 2,069 local online content consumers selected at random. These consumers were polled about their opinions about other sites including city guides, user review sites, classified sites and online yellow pages.

The survey found that trust is a key factor driving the success of advertising on the local media websites. Newspaper sites ranked first, with 56 percent of visitors to those online pages indicated a strong trust in advertising on its websites. Local television stations came in second at 55 percent and portals at third with 53 percent.

"Local online advertising should be an important part of the modern marketer's media mix, and I think your survey rings true," Rust said. "People trust the local brands they know, starting at the top with newspapers."

In addition to building trust, the survey found that consumers who visit local media sites are prime advertising targets.

Of consumers who spent more than $500 online from spring 2007 to spring 2008, 48 percent had visited magazine websites, 40 percent had viewed newspaper sites and 39 percent had visited a television station's Web page. That's compared to 37 percent of visitors to portals and 34 percent of the overall online population who spend this amount in one year.

A tool to preserve revenue

Rust said the Southeast Missourian is taking an enterprising approach in its advertising methods.

"At the Missourian, we are being quite aggressive in assembling advertising combo packages for both print and online," Rust said. "More than any other combination, print and online drives traffic affordably and effectively to a merchant's place of business."

Mike Smythe, vice president and general manager of KFVS, said like newspapers, the Internet has allowed television stations to combat any potential revenue losses.

He said the station's website, kfvs12.com, drives traffic to its home page. He said certain features on the website such as webcasts of college and high school sporting events and links make for a more attractive tool to bring in local advertisers. "We've had tremendous growth during the past few years," Smythe said. "Our business is changing and our website is one tool we're using to readjust in order to survive in the future."

Karie Hollerbach, associate professor and advertising option coordinator in the department of communication at Southeast Missouri State University, said online advertising has become important because of the centrality of the Internet in everyone's lives.

She said consumers look more toward online advertising in addition to traditional sources such as the Yellow Pages, billboards or newspapers because online advertising that is both informative and relevant resonates with consumers today.

"They appreciate and respond to the truly targeted advertising messages that are made possible through the unique content and delivery mechanisms of the web," she said.

bblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137