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A VALS™ Perspective on Media and Advertising March 2009

About This Report

Headline: Advertisers face increasing challenges in a down market.

Sound byte: Media channel preferences become more pronounced.

Stay Tuned: Will the economic crisis change consumer expectation and spending norms?

At a time when positive economic news is hard to find, the media and advertising industry is feeling battered on several fronts: an evolving media landscape, shrinking revenues, and advertisers' increasing pressure to stretch available dollars to reach consumers. On the other side of the coin, many consumers suffer from advertising overload: Some research claims that the number of advertising messages that the average U.S. adult sees is as high as 6000. Whatever number one chooses to believe, the number of advertising messages is greater than most consumers are interested in receiving or can reasonably process.

The total ad-spending picture for 2009 is likely to be grim: Magazines, for example, already report "slimming down" because of reduced advertising sales. Some advertising media are rethinking some sacred cows: For example, the venerable New York Times recently ran a CBS display ad on the front page in an effort to capitalize on prime space. Media companies and advertisers alike are grappling with issues such as media placement, advertising format, and innovative ways to reach consumers at a time when many consumers have fewer dollars with which to make purchases.Contributing to present media and advertising conditions are issues involving convergence, connectivity, consolidation, and content. A VALS™ Perspective on Media and Advertising explores these factors and consumer attitudes about the media and advertising.

Table of Contents

Convergence, Connectivity, Consolidation, Content, and the Consumer 2
Convergence 2
Connectivity 3
Consolidation 3
Content 5
The Consumer 6
Innovators 8
Thinkers 12
Believers 15
Achievers 18
Strivers 22
Experiencers 25
Makers 28
Survivors 30
Tables
Media Attitudes 9
Most Trusted Media 10
Advertising Attitudes 13
Responsiveness to Ads across Media 16
Considerable Interest in Alternative Advertising Places 19
Considerable Interest in Product Placement 20
Connectivity 24
Cellular/Mobile-Phone or PDA Behaviors in the Past 30 Days 27
Cell-Phone or PDA Opinions 29
Internet Activities in the Past 30 Days 31
Figures
VALS™ Framework 1
Media Quintiles: Innovators 8
Media Quintiles: Thinkers 12
Media Quintiles: Believers 15
Media Quintiles: Achievers 18
Media Quintiles: Strivers 22
Media Quintiles: Experiencers 25
Media Quintiles: Makers 28
Media Quintiles: Survivors 30

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