iProspect Offline Channel Influence on Online Search Behavior Study

By Commissioned by iProspect.com, Inc. and conducted by JupiterResearch

Multichannel

"Nearly 40% of consumers who perform online searches for more information report being influenced by offline channels and this influence ultimately results in a purchase."

Year:  August 2007

Type of Promotional Material/Activity Tested: The influence of offline marketing channels on Internet search and purchase behavior.

Sample Population:2,322 online users from the Ipsos US online consumer panel (sample balanced by a series of demographic and behavioral characteristics to ensure true representation of the online population)

Metrics: Survey featuring 25 close-ended questions about behaviors, attitudes, and preferences as they relate to new media and devices

Top Line Results:
 

• Offline channels have a clear influence in driving consumer to search the Internet for more information -- 67% of online users are driven to perform a search based on company name, product or service name, or slogan as a result of an offline message.
   

  Offline Channel Exposure Driving Online Searches
  Offline Channel	% of Online Searchers
  TV ad	37%
  Word of mouth	36%
  Magazine/Newspaper ad	30%
  Store location	20%
  Radio ad	17%
  Billboard, indoor or sports venue sign	9%
  Company name/ad on vehicle	10%
  None of these prompted a search	33%

 

• Offline advertising clearly influences a significant percentage of online search users to subsequently perform queries on search engines. Most commonly used keywords: company name (44%), product/service name (24%), and slogan (6%).
• Exposure to offline advertising results in online purchases -- 39 % of online searchers influenced by offline channels ultimately make a purchase. This impressive conversion rate demonstrates the synergistic relationship between offline and online channels.
• Consumers report that magazine/newspaper ads (30%) and word of mouth (30%) are most effective in generating purchases.

Take Aways:

• With two-thirds of study respondents driven by offline messages to perform online searches for more information on a company, service or product, AND for 39% of those respondents to then make a purchase, demonstrates the growing importance of integration and synergy between offline and online campaigns.

• Marketers need to ensure that offline advertising contains easy to remember web addresses and memorable keywords so potential customers can go on to successfully search the web for additional information—with the goal being a resulting purchase.

Complexity rating: 1 (complex statistical analysis scale: 1=none, 2=moderate, 3=difficult)

Source: iProspect Offline Channel Influence on Online Search Behavior Study