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Gráfica Consumer Survey Reveals Attitudes About Advertising
January 3, 2005
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Mark Devaney, Director of Public Relations for GráficaGroup, based in Chester, New Jersey, recently
commissioned a survey in conjunction with the Rutgers Graduate School of Management to determine media
preferences among New Jersey consumers.
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Says Devaney, "In looking at the national picture, Larry Freeman, our Media Director, tells us that every market is
different, so it's difficult to compare and contrast from state to state."
Freeman says, "For example, in states where
there is a large commuter population, radio and outdoor ads typically prove effective. That said, TV is still a very
strong medium no matter the state, so I believe that New Jersey parallels densely populated regions exposed to
multiple, integrated media channels, which means advertisers cannot rely on one medium to communicate their
message."
Continues Devaney, "We decided to conduct a survey for New Jersey to have some specific information." Conducted
in July and August of 2004, of the 458 participants in the survey, 45% responded via the Internet and 55% completed
questionnaires. In an exclusive interview with $ALE$-FAX, Mark shared his findings.
When asked why Gráfica did a survey, Devaney tells $ALE$-FAX, "We are one of the leading agencies for clients
such as PSE&G, Horizon Blue, Cathedral Healthcare System, AT&T, and the Office of the Attorney General, so we
thought it would help us to conduct research into how New Jerseyans prefer to be reached through advertising. We
worked with Rutgers University and really didn't know what to expect."
"One of the most interesting things we discovered through the survey is that TV is still the number-one choice of
advertising by consumers. Our data has confirmed that TV is still a very strong medium," says Devaney.
"Despite complaints about TV being too broad or too costly," Devaney adds, "we found that there are a lot of
strategies to reach certain segments of the population. Cable TV is very targeted. For products with a visceral
message, TV is by far the medium that addresses emotions and intellect in a very direct way, as opposed to
magazines. The Internet pays off through research and supports other advertising, but other venues actually capture
the attention."
"We thought that people have a negative attitude about advertising, that it gets in the way, and that they are only a
click away from getting away from it. But we found that New Jerseyans accept advertising, as well as expect it, but
they want good advertising. So there is a positive expectation and acceptance of advertising. The numbers showed
46% positive, 42% neutral, and 12% negative. We liken the neutral consumer to the undecided voter — someone who
isn't positive or negative and needs to be persuaded."
Devaney adds, "As a state, New Jersey has a great diversity of well-educated, high-income residents, consumers who
want entertaining and creative advertising. Shoppers were categorized from informed to impulsive. In terms of broad
demographics, the informed shopper has a household income over $50,000, has a high school education or more, and
is male. The impulsive shopper has less than $50,000 household income, has a high school education or less, is female,
and under 24."
Devaney adds that "Research from the survey substantiated gender-oriented advertising currently in place. For
example, lifestyle magazines are filled with clothes and food ads, because that is a proven tactic for reaching female
consumers. As for men who are reluctant to get off the couch during a commercial break, presumably while watching
a sporting event, you will observe advertising content skewed in a style toward their sensibilities."
"We also found that women pay attention to coupons and free samples, as well as direct mail, and take advantage of
these promotions. This form of advertising is really used as an enticement to buy more. Men, on the other hand,
disregard enticements; they are hunters versus gatherers."
Devaney says that when it comes to shopping for cars, women and men have a very different modus operandi.
"Women buy a car because they need one; men buy a car because they have a desire. This behavior can change
somewhat depending on the particular product."
"Additionally," he says, "the idea that women respond more to magazines was a presumption that proved to be true;
they are twice as likely to take action on a magazine ad than men. They are also twice as likely as men to purchase
clothing and food through magazines. Men, on the other hand, are much more likely to purchase by word of mouth."
Devaney adds, "People tend to say that billboards are not effective, but the bottom line is that there is very high usage
by people in New Jersey who read billboards, and it is a very effective branding medium."
In terms of media preference, Devaney cited the following findings: TV was preferred by 28% of those surveyed;
magazines scored 24%, while outdoor (billboards) came in at 8%. Devaney adds that 70% of respondents
said they read billboards, and the key to this form is that they must be readable, have frequent placement, and use only
seven to eight words."
"What we really discovered is that advertisers can't use only one channel — an integrated campaign is the way to go.
In a media-fragmented society, marketers need to reflect that in their choice of advertising. Actually, the Web did not
score well in terms of advertising, but it is effective as a research tool. People use the Web as a reaction to
advertising; they definitely go there for electronics, computers, and cars, but the Web actually needs to be integrated
with other forms of advertising to be really effective."
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