In the Media


Enable Flash to see our Flickr photos!

Project Netpop: Projections of the digital lifestyle


10/29/2008 Singaporeans flock to Web for financial research

The gloomy economic climate is spurring more Singaporeans to seek shelter under the Internet highway before venturing out to put pen to paper on another financial product.

According to a Google-sponsored survey conducted by marketing research firm Media-Screen LLC, nearly three out of four Singaporeans are making efforts to find out more about financial services and products, with company Websites and search engines being the most popular tools for conducting such research. Read the full article.

10/24/2008 Google survey: Singaporeans go online for finance products

Nearly three out of four Singaporeans go online to research financial products and services that interest them. This is according to a survey on financial habits of Singaporeans, conducted by market research firm Media-Screen and commissioned by Google. Among the online resources used for financial research, the two most popular ones are financial company websites (64 percent) and search engines (63 percent).

The report shows that a large percentage of the 601 Singaporeans surveyed are using the Internet to learn about consumer-oriented financial products such as personal loans and insurance policies.  Read the full article.

10/21/2008 Music startups, investors assemble at SanFran MusicTech Summit

The third SanFran MusicTech Summit gave another opportunity for digital media entrepreneurs, investors, analysts, distributors and musicians to convene and discuss the future. Among the highlights:

∙ In a cool-headed discussion of royalty rates and policy affecting Webcasters, Tim Westergren (pictured at right), the CEO of Net radio provider Pandora Media Inc., said the most powerful force keeping his company alive has been consumer sentiment. Fans of the site have petitioned Congress to give small Webcasters a break, allowing companies such as Pandora to stay in business. Westergren also said he expects artists to organize "in a more substantial way than they've done in the past" to keep Pandora and similar services alive.  Read the full article.

10/17/2008 18% financial products sold online in India: Study

According to a joint study by Google and strategic market research firm Media Screen, while 18 per cent of all financial products are sold online in India, 68 per cent users go online to research for financial products that interest them. Read the full article.

10/15/2008 Net is most used source for financial research: Study

Indian consumers are using the Internet for not just research into financial products but even purchasing them.

A latest study indicated that as much as 18% of all financial products are sold online in India. However, using the Internet for research on products still takes centre stage. Nearly 68% of consumers go online to research products that interest them.

The study was conducted by Google and implemented by the strategic market research firm, Media Screen, to gain deeper understanding of Indian consumer behavior in the online space.

The study revealed that online sources, personal sources and traditional media are used equally to research financial service products. According to it search engines (60%) and financial company websites (57%) are the most used online sources for financial research.  Read the full article.

10/01/2008 Study of “Noncommercial Use” by Creative Commons

Study of “Noncommercial Use” by Creative Commons

The nonprofit organization Creative Commons has launched a research study that will explore differences between commercial and noncommercial uses of content, as those uses are understood among various communities and in connection with a wide variety of content. Generous support for the study has been provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Full Story

09/30/2008 IWOM redefining brands and consumers

The architecture and habits of chinese participation and how IWOM is redefining the relationship between brands and consumers.

On May 14, 2008, just days after the Sichuan earthquake, a young college student in Chengdu saw a news report that the Chinese military was having trouble finding a place to land a helicopter to bring aid to Wenchuan, the town at the epicenter. The woman, who is from Wenchuan and who had knowledge of a place to land the helicopter, posted a message on various BBS forums pleading with the military to call her mobile phone number (which she also posted) so she could provide details to help out. Within 24 hours, someone in the military saw the message and contacted her, and as a result, the helicopter landed safely. This is just one of countless examples of how Chinese netizens, in the face of such a terrible, national tragedy, naturally looked to the Internet community to come together to provide assistance and mourn as a nation. In just the first week of the aftermath, major portals hosted over 23 million netizen comments and blogs received over 12.6 million comments. Read the full article.

09/12/2008 Search Marketing: Get Started With 5 Simple Strategies

Marketing to U.S. Hispanics via search engine marketing (SEM) is a bit trickier than your regular SEM programs because of language and cultural considerations, but it’s well worth the effort. Online U.S. Hispanics use search extensively — and a recent study by Media-Screen found that Hispanics are more likely than the general online population to use search for sophisticated tasks such as comparing prices on products, finding coupons and rebates, and finding out about new products and services. The search engines used by U.S. Hispanics include: Google: 87%; Yahoo Search: 68%; MSN Search: 40%; Ask Jeeves: 32%; Altavista: 12%; Lycos Search: 11%; and Other: 7%.

Read the full article.

08/26/2008 The Branding Value of a Search Impression

We are often asked and have long wondered "What impact does a search result have on branding for cpg?" Our answer has often been....vague.

To uncover the answer we recently commissioned a study with Media Screen.

Search is a known winner for direct response, and we wanted to prove that search has value as a branding tool too! The study measured the branding impact of paid search ads on organic search terms for four CPG product categories; cosmetic, beverage, food/snack and household/laundry.

In the study respondents were then asked to complete a brand survey to measure the brand impact on aided awareness, unaided awareness, purchase intent and purchase consideration after being exposed to search results.

Our key findings were what we had expected - when the test brand appears in paid search positions, unaided awareness and purchase intent increase for that brand.

Read the full story here

08/21/2008 An Overlooked Niche: Marketing To Hispanics Online

by Jose Villa

There is no doubt Hispanics are online. And for most of them, the Internet is about connecting with their friends and family and keeping in touch with the latest happenings in their world. However, advertisers have fallen short in actively targeting this portion of the population, in particular with search marketing. Marketers are missing a golden opportunity because Hispanic online users are prime candidates for responding to a search marketing campaign.

According to eMarketer, 52% of U.S. Hispanics are online, representing about 23 million in 2008. And that number will only grow. The U.S. Hispanic population is the most rapidly increasing demographic group in the United States and ranks as the number one minority group. In some cities and states, this minority group has even become the majority. The same may someday be true for Hispanic users online. It is estimated that number of Hispanic Internet users will surge between now and 2012 and surpass 29 million.

And they aren’t novice users. Half of the U.S Hispanic online population has been using the Internet for more than three years. This demographic knows eBay, knows Google and can surf the web with the best of them. With 27% of those 23 million Internet users going online everyday, there are plenty of opportunities for marketers to reach out and connect with this group.

Read the full article.

 

08/19/2008 Consumers log on to Net for research on goods

KOLKATA: Indian consumers are using internet for not just research into financial products but even purchasing them. A latest study indicated that about 18% of all financial products are sold online in India. However, using internet for research on products still takes centrestage. Nearly 68% of consumers go online to research on products that interest them.

The study was conducted by Google and implemented by the strategic market research firm Media Screen LLC to gain deeper understanding of the Indian consumer behaviour in the online space. The encouraging trend is that such activities are not just limited to the urban pockets.

Read the full article

08/19/2008 68% of consumers go online to research on products: Study

About 18 per cent of all financial products are sold online in India, reveals a joint study by Google and strategic market research firm Media Screen. The study also states that nearly 68 per cent of consumers go online to research on products that interest them.

According to the study findings, comparing costs and product details are the two most common online financial research activities in India. Between the two, comparing costs have become more important than evaluating product details (48% vs 42%).

“Using internet for such transactions is more skewed towards metros due to the greater penetration of internet. But, there is an equally optimistic demand arising from smaller towns,” Sridhar Seshadri, business head (financial services), Google India, has told Economic Times.

08/19/2008 India - Consumers logging on to net for search before purchase

KOLKATA: Indian consumers are using internet for not just research into financial products but even purchasing them. A latest study indicated that about 18% of all financial products are sold online in India. However, using internet for research on products still takes centrestage. Nearly 68% of consumers go online to research on products that interest them.

The study was conducted by Google and implemented by the strategic market research firm Media Screen LLC to gain deeper understanding of the Indian consumer behaviour in the online space. The encouraging trend is that such activities are not just limited to the urban pockets.

Read the full article

08/18/2008 Online sales accounts for 18% of total financial products sales in India

68% of consumers conduct an online research before buying any financial product. While the research is primarily aimed at comparing costs and details of financial products. 18% of financial products are sold online in India!(as per a study by Google and Media Screen, a market research firm)

Few stats from the study:

  • Comparing costs have become more important than evaluating product details (48% Vs 42%).
  • Search engines play a major role in accessing other websites and nearly 67% of respondents use them for financial product research.
  • 30% of consumers also use search engines to become aware of special rates/promotions and to access expert advice.
  • Around 55% people see an online advertisement and click on them to learn more.

While the numbers are based on a survey (and open to questions, as the study is positioned more as a search ad success story), its a sure sign that Indians are opening up to online transactions which are more utility based. For instance, online tax filing went up by 504% this year.

As far as the market size of financial products are concerned, over 20 million households fall into the target market for personal financial services and metros drive the growth/adoption for online buying.

07/09/2008 One-Third of Entertainment Consumed on PCs

36 percent of all entertainment is consumed on computers, according to Netpop Research, whose recent findings underscore the central role of the PC as a primary access point for entertainment, reports MarketingCharts.

Teens and adults (those age 13-34) with broadband connections now spend more time in front of computers than watching blockbuster movies or reading novels and fashion magazines, the study found.

In a typical month, according to Netpop, content consumed on desktop and laptop computers is responsible for…

Read the full article here

07/09/2008 Ponad 1/3 rozrywki konsumowana na pecetach

Około 36 procent rozrywkowych treści jest obecnie konsumowanych poprzez komputery.

Z badania przeprowadzonego przez firmę Netpop Research wynika, że osoby w wieku od 13 do 34 lat posiadające szerokopasmowy dostęp do sieci spędzają więcej czasu przy komputerze niż oglądając hitowe filmy, czytając powieści czy czasopisma - informuje serwis Marketing Charts.

W przeciągu typowego miesiąca treści konsumowane na komputerach odpowiedzialne są za 30 procent całego czasu przeznaczanego na słuchanie treści dźwiękowych (muzyka, podcasty, audiobooki), 48 procent czasu przeznaczanego na oglądanie treści wideo (programy telewizyjne, filmy, krótkie klipy) oraz 37 procent czasu przeznaczanego na czytanie drukowanych treści (prasa codzienna, czasopisma, książki).

Z badania Netpop wynika też, że 60 procent osób w wieku od 13 do 34 lat regularnie angażuje się przynajmniej w jedną formę tzw. 'communitainment' czyli czynności wspierających treści rozrywkowe w sieci. Poświęcają oni średnio 78 minut dziennie np. na umieszczanie komentarzy na temat ulubionych programów telewizyjnych czy polecanie znajomym nowej płyty.

06/30/2008 Netpop: Consumers go online for entertainment news

Pop culture is a crazy, revenue driving machine but did you know that those addicted to pop culture turn to the Internet first for their entertainment news? According to a new report from NetPop, 36% of time spent with entertainment is spent via computer.

by Kristina Knight

Especially for younger consumers (aged 13 - 34 years), online portals are their primary resource for entertainment content and news. On average, 60% of these consumers engage with online entertainment each week, spending more than 70 minutes each day on "communitainment" activities through social platforms. They are talking on message boards about a favorite show, blogging about a new album release or telling friends about a new movie.

Also, consumers are listening to audio files (30%), watching video content (48%) or reading print content (37%).

“Increasingly, the medium is no longer the message for entertainment content.” said Josh Crandall, managing director of Media-Screen LLC, the creator of Netpop. “With content set free, marketers and advertisers need to think beyond the medium, beyond the device, to capture eyeballs in a meaningful way.”

What this indicates is that marketers need to really begin looking into product placements and sponsorships related to entertainment activities. With so many consumers logging on to the Internet for entertainment news, television shows and CD releases, it makes sense for marketers to have their products in those outlets as well.

06/26/2008 Broadband Draws Entertainment Traffic

By Enid Burns 

Media consumption has shifted from traditional media to digital, finds Netpop Research, a syndicated division of media-screen.

In a typical month, the average person spends about 30 percent of her time listening to audio content -- music, podcasts, or recorded books -- on the computer; 48 percent of her time watching video content, including TV shows and full-length films; and 37 percent of her time reading print content, such as newspaper articles, magazine features, and books.

A social element has evolved from these new content consumption behaviors. "People are spending about an hour a day, on average, communicating about the entertainment, for leisure purposes," said Josh Crandall, managing director of media-screen.

About a quarter of respondents say they are motivated to post opinions about TV shows, films, songs, games, graphic novels, and other forms of entertainment because they disagree with something someone else has said. Compare that to the fifth of respondents who post to promote a new entertainment product they want others to know about.

The report dubs this form of social media "communitainment," or the social activities that support online entertainment content. The report finds it's on the rise among 13 to 34 year olds, with 60 percent in this age group regularly engaging in at least one communitainment activity.

"What's happening with the computer screen is not only are they able to consume 'Lost' or one or two four-minute videos, but they are [also] able to send it to a friend, give their opinion, and meet new people," said Crandall. "It becomes a much more engaged environment for people."

The online survey was fielded in August 2007 and consisted of 4,068 broadband users aged 13 or older in the United States.

12/24/2007 Newsweek: These Surfers Do It Their Own Way

These Surfers Do It Their Own Way

New data suggest China isn't lagging on Internet social networking. It's just innovating differently.

Ryan Pyle / Corbis
Plugged In: A young man in Hangzhou, China, surfs the Web

Herman Tang is just the kind of customer tech companies in China are trying to woo. He's a twentysomething student at a topnotch Beijing university, and he's adept at using all the latest Internet technologies. He joined the Chinese social-networking service Xiaonei, which allows members to post opinions and comment on each other's personal pages. He's checked out the English-language site Facebook, which is looking for a foothold in Asia's biggest market. But when it comes to keeping in touch with his friends, Herman says both sites are too "passive." He prefers the immediacy of instant messaging, from his PC at home and his cell phone when he's on the go. With IM, he says, "you can connect with anyone, any time—that's what makes it great."

Herman's not alone: China's Internet audience has, for the most part, given sites like Facebook and MySpace the cold shoulder. Even local Chinese sites like Xiaonei or 51.com have failed to establish big national followings. What may seem on the surface to be a stubborn backwardness on the part of the Chinese, however, could also be interpreted as a viable alternative to Western-style social networking. Many experts are starting to think that the Chinese are leading the way to a new kind of social Internet—one that emphasizes the kind of instant communication that Herman and his friends prize so highly. Recent surveys leave little doubt that a different kind of Internet culture is emerging in China—younger, more devoted, more addicted to speed and intimacy than its Western counterparts. With tens of millions of Chinese gaining access to broadband each year, says a recent study by the Internet research firm [Media-Screen and it's tracking study titled] Netpop comparing China and the United States, "Chinese have the potential to shape Web commerce and culture far beyond their own country."

Read the rest of the story here.

11/19/2007 Adweek: Surveying the Scenesters: China in the Web 2.0 World

November 19, 2007
By Gregory Solman

NEW YORK Despite a fourfold difference in population, the broadband markets in the U.S. and China are remarkably comparable, with 107 million users in China and 101 million here. But, according to the first Media-Screen Netpop survey of 4,000 Chinese broadband users, that is where the similarities end.

Internet users make up less than 14 percent of China's population, compared to the nearly saturated U.S. market, where roughly 71 percent of Americans have Web access. Chinese "broadbanders," as Netpop calls them, are also an average 10 years younger than their American counterparts. What's more, they are better educated—67 percent have at least a college degree compared with 40 percent in the U.S.—and they are more likely to be employed (80 percent versus 61 percent).

For these reasons, the survey's authors contend that China's broadband users disproportionately influence the consumer marketplace. Josh Crandall, managing director of the San Francisco-based research firm, said this population is already "very comfortable with user-generated content. One of the biggest surprises was the diversity and volume of content that the Chinese are contributing—they're very active with blogging, in forums and on discussion boards."

The report, "China and the U.S. in a Web 2.0 World," also reveals that nearly half of all Chinese broadbanders ages 13 to 35 contribute something online in a typical month, compared to only about 15 percent of younger Americans. The Chinese are also more likely to publish a blog (40 percent to 13 percent), review a product (32 percent to 22 percent) and use chat rooms (45 percent to 16 percent).

Read the rest of this story at Adweek by clicking on the title above.

11/14/2007 Adotas: Netpop Takes The Veil Off The Chinese Market

Netpop.com, a consumer market-data web site, recently came out with a report that is one in a series to come of studies on various international consumer behavior markets entitled “Netpop|Nations: China and the U.S. Web 2.0 Behavior.” This report outlines insights on Chinese consumer behavior that may assist American companies looking to expand into this somewhat untapped, burgeoning marketplace.

One of the major findings was that user-generated content influences about 58% of all purchases in China compared to only 19% in the United States. This means that social media companies stand to benefit from their current business practices. These consumers are highly engaged online with a 47% total of broadband users posting comments on blogs, chat rooms and forums compared to only 28% of broadband users in the U.S. Managing director of Media-Screen LLC and creator of Netpop Josh Crandall said “The pull market trend is only accelerating. There is a wide gap found between consumer behavior and the allocation of marketing assets. We’re really attempting to provide CMOs the evidence to back up their case for increased online ad expenditures.”

11/13/2007 ClickZ: China's Online Population Adapts Internet with Speed

While China's general population has been online for less time than the U.S., online social media and research are quickly becoming a purchase decision tools in the world's most populus country. A report, "Netpop China," released this month by Netpop, look at Internet usage in China, and key differences with the U.S. Internet population.

User-generated content plays a role in purchase decisions in China, as 58 percent of purchases are influenced by consumer reviews and ratings sites, forums and discussion boards, blogs, and other social media sites. In contrast, about 19 percent of purchase decisions in the U.S. are influenced by user-generated content.

"We see China surpasses the U.S. in looking to content that's been uploaded by individuals, and also with regards to shopping, the number of hours spent researching shopping in the U.S. on average is 2.9 hours. In China it is 3.4 hours spent online for a particular purchase," said Josh Crandall, managing director of Media Screen, the research organization that released the Netpop report.

Read the complete article by clicking on the title and visiting ClickZ.

11/12/2007 Ad Age: Mobile-Marketing Plans Meet Unlikely Opponent: Telecoms

Start-Ups Push to Subsidize Phone Apps With Ads, but That Strategy Could Strip Carriers of Billions in Revenue

Is corporate greed stifling mobile marketing's potential?

Clipped from the full article:

Not for the family
Few of the wireless carriers, internet companies, content providers and upstart middlemen jockeying over the potential mobile bounty, estimated to be $10 billion or more in a few years, are thinking about sharing some of it with wireless subscribers. And that's too bad, said Josh Crandall, managing director at Media-Screen, a San Francisco-based market-research firm, because one of the main barriers to adoption is the cost associated with more-advanced, non-voice features. "The pricing model needs to change," he said.

His firm conducted a study of more than 4,000 consumers, and only 11% said they use their phones' extra features. Added fees and small screen size were the biggest barriers to using more data services.

Mr. Crandall said carrier pricing policies for data plans are established to generate revenue from business customers and are not optimized for the benefit of the consumer market. "There are no data plans for the entire family," he said, which would make the services and the advertising on them easier to swallow.

For the full article, click on the title to be directed to Ad Age.

11/06/2007 Marketing Charts: Chinese Surpass Americans in Web 2.0 Use

Chinese consumers have dramatically surpassed Americans in adopting Web 2.0 behavior, relying heavily on social media for guidance in purchase decisions, according to data from Netpop.

The Chinese-consumer behavior data have broad implications for American companies intent on selling consumer goods in China, Netpop said.

11/06/2007 BizReport: Chinese adopt Web 2.0 faster than Americans

Blogs to Podcasts, online users in China are adopting Web 2.0 interfaces faster than their American counterparts. According to a recent NetPop report user-generated content impacts 58% of Chinese purchases but only about 19% of American purchases.

11/03/2007 Inside Digital Hollywood—Wednesday, Oct. 31

Broadband Advertising: The Power Surge took center stage at Digital Hollywood on Wednesday as a panel moderated by 360i Director of Emerging Media David Berkowitz addressed the multiple tactics that can be employed around broadband video postings/advertising.

Media-Screen Managing Director Josh Crandall set the tone by showing his company’s research on U.S.broadband audiences. The Netpop Report (Trends: Online Activities among U.S. Broadband Users, 2006 and 2007, http://http://netpopresearch.com/node/23623) showed that modern, influential online consumers share opinions with their online circle of friends and the Web community at large. Broadband is clearly out of the early adopter phase and into the mainstream with 127 million consumers at least 13 years and older accessing it. When it comes to product purchase decisions consumers are spending 2.6 hours online versus 2.2 hours offline gathering information before making purchases.

11/01/2007 The Digestible Data Package

Data is a fact of necessity for advertisers and marketers, yet it's expensive for some of the small shops to afford subscriptions, or shell out for full reports. San Francisco-based Media-Screen recognized the issue and launched Netpop Research, "a tiered subscription model for access to graphs that are borne out of our Netpop ongoing studies," said Josh Crandall, managing director of Media-Screen.

 - Enid Burns

10/16/2007 Netpop gives marketers specific metrics

Advertisers who want more bang for their buck - or more specific information rather than traditional research reports - may like a new research service called Netpop. The service allows users to purchase specific information in addition to in-depth research reports.

07/03/2007 iMedia Connection: When the Broadband Consumer Sits at the Marketing Table

Media-Screen's managing director reveals findings from a Netpop study on how mass media consumers are shaping the world of entertainment advertising.

04/27/2007 WSJ - Traffic Report: Small Screens, Extra Fees (subscription required)

Why more people don't use cell phones to go online: Most popular mobile-Web features