May 2002

AB's More Likely to look at Newspaper Advertisements

According to McNair Ingenuity Research's Australians Today Consumer Insights research program, ABs are more likely to choose to read advertisements in newspapers and are more likely to be influenced by newspaper advertising than the overall community.

The survey of over 1,000 people across Australia, conducted in late April and early May 2002, clearly shows that the affinity between newspaper readers and their favourite newspaper is strongest amongst the most affluent segments of the community. ABs is the label ascribed to the highest income earners or those in senior or highly academic roles. When asked which media most influenced what products and services they used, 28% of ABs said that newspapers most influenced them, compared to 24% of the total population. ABs were also more likely to say that they were most influenced by the Internet compared to the overall Australian population. And while ABs were also more influenced by television advertising, they were less likely to be susceptible to radio advertising messages, according to Ingenuity's research.

Other findings include that a quarter of Australians (and 31% of ABs) felt that newspapers told them the most about new products, and ABs were 26% more likely to consider newspapers as a media to relax with compared with the overall population.

ABs is the label used in a number of countries to describe to top socio-economic group in the community. Ingenuity Research use a definition based on income, occupation and education. The formula also takes into account people who have fully paid off their own home, since this group, un-encumbered by the weight of a mortgage, are able to allocate more of their income as a discretionary spend on such things as better cars, holidays and a more luxurious lifestyle.
The Australian's Today Research program also compared people's overall outlook on life with their media interests. This segment of the research showed: People who are open to change are more likely to consider newspapers as their friend - while people with a more local and introspective view on life tended to be less likely to feel close to newspapers; Optimists were most influenced by newspaper advertising - while pessimists were more likely to give newspapers `quality time'; and Frugal people - those most likely to hold-off buying something until it goes on special, were the most likely to spend time reading advertisements in newspapers and magazines, or watching advertisements on TV. McNair Ingenuity Research will be releasing the research results over the next few months, and have scheduled to continue the Australians Today Consumer Insights research program on a quarterly basis.
You can learn more about McNair Ingenuity Research by visiting www.mcnairingenuity.com or calling Client Services Director Matt Balogh on 02 9966 9133	McNair Ingenuity's Social Outlook model uses nine dimensions to get an overall view of how people see the world. You can try the model for yourself at www.mcnairingenuity.com and get more information about each of the dimensions and how they can be used as a marketing tool.

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