When they are in the market to buy, adults read the newspaper

In the highly fragmented media world of today, newspapers play a crucial role in bringing local readers and advertisers together. Did you know that nearly 67 percent of all adults rarely or never use direct mail to make purchasing decisions and 57 percent rarely or never use the Yellow Pages when looking to purchase an item?

So where are they turning?...

Eighty percent of community newspaper readers read grocery or supermarket advertisements. In fact, half of all readers rely most on the newspaper for grocery shopping information. That’s ten times more than the next most relied upon source, direct mail (7%).

• Seventy-eight percent of newspaper readers read the classified advertisements.
• Seventy-six percent read department store ads.
• Sixty-six percent read public notice advertisements.

In addition, the survey, conducted by the Center for Advanced Social Research, also revealed that:

--Fourteen percent of readers rely most on their community newspaper for cell phone shopping. This compares to only eight percent who rely on television and seven percent who rely most on the Internet.

--One-third rely most on their community newspaper for appliance shopping information, which is three times more than the next most relied upon source, the Internet (nine percent).

--Eleven percent of readers plan to buy a new vehicle and twenty percent of those people look to the newspaper first for new vehicle shopping information. This compares to only 14 percent who rely on the Internet.

Although advertisers are trying new approaches to reaching buyers, this study reinforces the need for traditional newspaper advertising to reach your target audience when it is in the market to buy.

Source: 2005 National Newspaper Association, Center for Advanced Social Research

This monthly newsletter is a service provided by Customized Newspaper Advertising. For more information on the newspaper advertising industry, please contact Jody Ehm, CNA Marketing & Research Manager at jehm@cnaads.com.

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