Extra! Extra! Rich Folk Prefer Traditional Media
In Ad Age’s AdStat column published Aug. 1st, Stephen Kraus and Bob Shullman write “Among Affluent Americans, Print Media Is Tops.” Of course, this headline immediately grabbed my attention.
The Affluency column appears monthly on AdAgeStat.
It seems for years, we’ve been attending print media's funeral and online’s débutante ball; however, according to the Mendelsohn Affluent Barometer survey, reports of the death of traditional media “are greatly exaggerated and equally premature.” America’s wealthy prefer traditional to other newer forms of media (online, mobile devices, etc.).
Here’s a recap of the Mendelsohn Affluent Barometer survey:
- How the rich read magazines? 93% said they read hard-copy print versions; in contrast, less than a third read them on computers, and no other format garnered more than 10%
- How the rich read newspapers? 86% read in print, compared to the 39% who read them on computers, and 14% who read them via smartphone
- How the rich watch TV shows? TV shows are watched on TVs by 94%, followed by 23% who watch them on computers
- Computers or mobile devices to view content? Websites are viewed on computers by 94%, followed by 32% viewing them on smartphones
Methodology: The Mendelsohn Affluent Barometer tracks new and traditional media use among American affluents. This monthly survey consists of more than 1,000 online interviews with respondents making at least $100,000 in annual household income—in other words, the 20% of Americans who account for about 60% of U.S. income and approximately 70% of U.S. net worth. The survey was conducted between March and May 2011.
So in PR, even though we all know the power and massive reach of online media, the print clip is still is very much a valuable currency—especially if your clients are targeting the affluent. 