The Top Ways We Learn About New Brands and Products

Multichannel

July 30, 2013 -- In a global survey examining how consumers are introduced to new products and brands, Ipsos Open Thinking Exchange (OTX) finds TV ads (58%) take the top spot with Americans.

After TV ads, U.S. consumers say they’re most likely to learn about new products and brands from friends and family (54%) and online (54%).
 
Nearly a third (31%) point to magazines as a discovery source and one in 5 (21%) Americans note the role of direct mail in learning about new products and brands.

Please note: the survey omits newspapers and radio as discovery sources.

PRODUCT AND BRAND DISCOVERY SOURCES BY AGE GROUPS

When looking at discovery sources by U.S. age groups:
 

• For the 18-34 group, the internet is most cited (59%), followed by friends and family (56%), and TV in third (48%).

• Among the 35-49 age group, TV jumps to the top (59%), followed by the internet (53%) and friends and family (51%)

• Among older Americans, aged 50-64, there is another huge bump for TV ads (68%) returns to the top, followed by the influence of friends and family (56%), in-store advertising (55%), then the internet (50%).

Marketing Charts points out that “at least for new product discovery, TV and the internet appear to move in opposite directions in terms of age patterns. The influence of retail stores and direct mail also increases alongside age, while the opposite is true for social networking sites and blogs.”

GENDER GAPS IN DISCOVERY SOURCES 

There are also some sizable gender gaps between discovery sources:
 

• Friends and family (63% U.S. women versus 46% U.S. men)

• Retail stores (55% women, 45% men)

• Magazine ads (38% women, 25% men)

• Social networking sites (36% women, 15% men)

• There is less of a gender gap when it comes to the likelihood of finding out about new products and brands through TV commercials (60% women, 56% men)

GLOBAL RESULTS
 

• Globally (24 countries were studied), the internet is the top medium for new product and brand discovery, cited by 68% of all respondents, yet only 54% of U.S. respondents say they discover new brands via the internet.

• Among global respondents, TV commercials take second spot as a source of new product and brand discovery (61%).

About: The data is derived from the Global @dvisor Wave 43 (G@43), an Ipsos OTX survey conducted between March 5-19, 2013. The survey instrument is conducted monthly in 24 countries around the world via the Ipsos Online Panel system. The countries reporting herein are Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the U.S.

For the results of the survey presented herein, an international sample of 18,147 adults aged 18-64 in the U.S. and Canada, and age 16-64 in all other countries, were interviewed. Weighting was employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample reflects that of the adult population according to the most recent country Census data, and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe.

Source:  Marketing Charts, How Do Consumers Find Out About New Products and Brands?, July 30, 2013 and Ipsos N.A., Socialogue: Pure mADness!, July 30, 2013.