from: robin hood

sent: wednesday, december 13, 2006 8:53 am

to: amy goostree; andy ernsting; annie arnold; becky loboda; bob zender; heather
knight; jeff risley; jennifer cawley; kelly gage; lindsey dewitte; megan
hutchison; michaela bondon; mike swenson; rachel mckenney; robin hood; sara
laughlin; sarah richardson; susan shank; tom mentzer; tracy richardson; viva
bolova; wendy fitch; erica wren
subject: new media survey declares traditional media far from dead:

new media survey declares traditional media far from dead: findings also refute
common communication myths, identify new realities
a new survey of media usage by consumers and communication professionals
challenges several major communications myths, including the growing belief that
traditional media�local newspapers and television news, in particular � are dead.
the survey by ketchum (www.ketchum.com) and the university of southern
california's annenberg strategic public relations center found that consumers
still rely heavily on their local newspapers and local tv news while increasingly
using blogs and other emerging new media to gather the information they need to
make purchases and explore issues.

the "media myths & realities, 2006 media usage survey" compares the media-usage
habits of 1,490 adult americans and 500 communications industry professionals. in
general, the survey revealed that significant gaps exist between the two groups.
while heavy users of all media, industry professionals often don't seem to go
beyond their corporate web sites to dispense information even though most
consumers don't visit those sites that frequently. the results underscore the need
for companies to establish a balance in their media mix.

one key takeaway for communicators is the survey's identification of what appears
to be a disconnect between consumers' lack of reliance on corporate websites for
information and industry professionals' strong use of them to convey corporate
information compared to other channels.

the strong "traditional media is not dead" finding comes at a time when the
circulation and viewership numbers for traditional publications and television
continue to slide and commentators are sounding the death knell of newspapers,
especially.

so what triggers the paradox? the survey looks at media-usage habits and not
whether consumers are subscribing to publications or viewing tv news less
frequently. many consumers undoubtedly are looking at newspaper and tv stations'
and networks' web sites and considering them to be under the traditional media
umbrella. what's clear is that consumers still rely heavily on traditional media
for the information they need to make purchasing decisions and to consider issues.

according to the survey, nearly three-in-four consumers (73.6%) rely on their

local tv news while nearly 70 percent (68.9%) depend on their local newspaper, and
this heavy reliance cuts across all generations. as for new media, just 13.4
percent of the general public use blogs while only 4.8 percent use podcasts and
4.5 percent get media via their cell phone. however, usage of new media varies
significantly by age.

the survey, which establishes a benchmark against which trends in media usage can
be tracked over time, discredits five other common media myths:

a.. myth #1: blogs dominate. the survey revealed that just 13.4 percent of
consumers rely on internet blogs and only give them a 5.2 rating out of 10 for
credibility, while nearly 69 percent of consumers read their local newspaper and
give it a 7.2 credibility rating and 73.6 percent rely on local tv news and give
it a 7.4 rating.
b.. myth #2: social networking sites are just for kids. reflecting growing
interest toward personal relevance, the survey found that online social networking
sites such as myspace.com and friendster.com attract people of all ages, not just
the young. overall, 17.1 percent of the survey respondents ranked them highest in
usage among new media. while adults ages 18 to 24 (41.9%) and 25-34 (30.9%) use
social networks the most, 15.1 percent of adults ages 35 to 44 and nearly 10
percent of those 45 to 54 also use them.
c.. myth # 3: young adults don't read newspapers. more than half of adults 18 to
24 read local newspapers, the survey shows, with 16.4 percent reading a national
newspaper or newspapers. young adults are the most well rounded in their media
habits, making significant use of all types of new and traditional media.
d.. myth #4: word of mouth cannot be managed. the study proves that word of
mouth can make or break a communications campaign. advice from family and friends
is used by 43.7 percent of consumers when making purchase decisions, and nearly
one in four follows advice from coworkers. credibility is high for both groups.
and while word of mouth can't be controlled, it can be influenced by communicators
who understand the informational needs of consumers and those who influence them
by providing the information accurately and creatively.
e.. myth #5: the company website is the best way to communicate. industry
professionals often rely too heavily on their websites to convey corporate
information while consumers view them as just one of many pit stops for such news.
for instance, while nearly half of industry professionals use their company
website most for company announcements, only 6.8 percent of consumers look to the
website for such information. but consumers often use company websites to gather
information before making major purchases, such as a car, consumer electronics and
stock.
"the survey shows clearly that the best approach for corporate communicators
involves employing a real marketing-mix mentality and using a variety of media
channels when communicating with consumers and those who influence them," says
nicholas scibetta, ketchum senior vice president and global director of the
agency's communications & media strategy network. "this captures the intersection
of traditional and new media and of the human element that of word-of-mouth
communications provides. consumers and influencers increasingly are navigating to
that intersection for the information they need.

"what communicators must do, however, is understand which medium works best with
which audience. and that's why employing a media mix is so important today,"
scibetta added.

the survey was conducted between sept. 6-20 and among the 1,490 adult respondents,
at least 100 came from each of the seven cities where there was a particular
focus.

robin hood
executive administrator
barkley

1740 main st.

kansas city, mo 64108
rhood@barkleyus.com
phone: 816.842.1500
direct: 816.423.6122
mobile: 816.813.5939
fax: 816.423.7122
www.barkleyus.com

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