OPA Study on US Net Consumption

A new study from the Online Publishers Association (OPA) has shown the latest patterns in US consumer net consumption. Undertaken with Millward Brown IntelliQuest in November 2001, the research profiles At-Work Users and contrasts them with Non-Work Users.

The data indicates that the American At-Work Users have comparatively highly desirable demographics. They are significantly more likely to be aged 18-34 (45% vs. 26%), are more likely to be highly educated (70% have at least a bachelor's degree vs. 50%) and have considerable spending power (45% have household income greater than USD75,000) in comparison to Non-Work Users. Seventy-nine percent of At-Work Users report that the Internet has made them more productive workers, and 69% indicate that it helps them balance their personal and professional lives.

The study has also revealed that the vast majority of At-Work Users (91%) also log on from home. Investigating the overall media usage of At-Work Users during a typical 24-hour day revealed that this group now spends more time on the Internet on a typical Monday-Friday than they spend watching television. (Use of the Internet for e-mail was specifically excluded in the questionnaire.) Thirty-four percent of total media minutes are spent on the Internet, while 30% are spent watching television and 26% are spent listening to the radio. Even among Non-Work Users, the amount of time spent on the Internet during the workweek is second only to TV.

The study has also confirmed that daytime is prime time for the Internet. While Internet usage is notably strong throughout the day in comparison to other media, the Internet completely dominates daytime media use in the same way that television dominates evenings.

'Busy working people now spend more time on the Internet than they spend either watching television, listening to the radio, or reading newspapers or magazines,' said Michael Zimbalist, acting executive director of the Online Publishers Association. 'It is clear that the Internet is an extremely positive force in these users' lives. Its value extends from productivity enhancement to information retrieval on high-quality media sites, making these sites a particularly compelling way for advertisers to reach their customers.'

Zimbalist continued 'The buying power of At-Work Users, coupled with their clear indication that online ads help them make purchase decisions more than ads in traditional media, makes a strong case for all major advertisers to include online in their media mix.'

The research was conducted on a sample size of 1,027 Internet users, of which 755 had accessed the Internet from work in the past 30 days, and 272 had accessed the Internet from somewhere other than work in the past 30 days. The sample was recruited throughout the day from the Lightspeed web panel. A more detailed summary of findings is available at the Online Publishers Association website.

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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