Online Video Growth Fueled by the Young

With the growth of broadband subscriptions, and an increasing number of online viewing options, online video use has expanded in the past year, according to consumer research from Leichtman Research Group (LRG), MarketingCharts reports. 31 percent of adults online at home report that they view video online at least weekly, compared with 25 percent that said […]

Posted: Friday, May 9th, 2008

Photo Retoucher Defends Integrity of Dove 'Real Beauty' Campaign

A quote from a photo retoucher for Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty has generated questions about how "real" any of the beauties actually were. In the May 12 issue of the New Yorker, Pascal Dangin — photo retoucher for Annie Leibovitz, who created the Real Beauty ads for Dove and Ogilvy — said this with regard […]

Posted: Friday, May 9th, 2008

As Boomers Retire, Lack of Specialized Medical Care Becomes a Concern

The vast majority of Boomers say it is important that their physician have specialized training in dealing with older patients, but a majority say they cannot find such a doctor, according to the first annual Senior Health Index from American System for Advancing Senior Health, writes MarketingCharts. Nearly nine in 10 women (88 percent) consider […]

Posted: Friday, May 9th, 2008

Facebook Soups Up Security, Partners with 49 Attorneys General

To buttress users against inappropriate conduct and content, Facebook has joined ranks with 49 Attorneys General. "Building a safe and trusted online experience has been part of Facebook from its outset," said Chief Privacy Officer Chris Kelly. "We are proud to join 49 states and the District of Columbia in affirming our commitment to these principles." Per its […]

Posted: Friday, May 9th, 2008

April US Social Networking Traffic Down 16% from '07

The market share of April US visits to a custom category of 57 of the leading social-networking websites increased 3 percent from March - but was down 16 percent from April 2007, Hitwise reports - via MarketingCharts. MySpace.com led in traffic, receiving 73.82 percent of the market share of US visits in April. Facebook ranked second […]

Posted: Thursday, May 8th, 2008

Mother's Day 2008: Men Will Spend More Than Women

Men plan to spend more than women this Mother's Day, with an anticipated average "spend" of $170 compared with women's $110, according to a Brand Keys survey, writes MarketingCharts. The survey, part of the Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, asked 1,200 men and women (age 18-65) how they planned to celebrate Mother's Day. Higher gas prices and subsequently […]

Posted: Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

Big Jump in Online Radio Listening at Work

American workers that listen to radio at work online, as opposed to traditional radio receivers, grew dramatically from 2007 to 2008, according to data from Arbitron and Edison Media Research, MarketingCharts reports. The Internet & Multimedia series of studies found that among people who are employed full- or part-time and listen to radio at work, […]

Posted: Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

Healthcare Costs Near Top of Americans' Economic Woes

Paying for healthcare ranks among Americans' top personal economic problems (some even marry for health insurance) - up there with filling the gas tank and finding a well-paying job or getting a pay raise - according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll, MarketingCharts reports. Conducted by the Foundation's public opinion researchers, the April poll […]

Posted: Tuesday, May 6th, 2008

More Women Than Men on Social Networks, Have More Friends Than Men Do

More women are on social networks and on average have slightly more "friends" than do men, even though men tend to be more focused on acquiring "friends" than building relationships with them, according to a Rapleaf study of 30.74 million social networkers, MarketingCharts writes. Rapleaf examined the number of friends that men and women have […]

Posted: Monday, May 5th, 2008

Health Plan Satisfaction Varies Starkly from Region to Region

Health plan performance across the US varies widely among some insurers. Just 45% of plan members report fully understanding how to use their insurance coverage and member services, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 National Health Insurance Plan Study, MarketingCharts reports. The study of member satisfaction among 107 health plans in 17 regions throughout […]

Posted: Monday, May 5th, 2008

Lackluster Teen Spend Indicates 'Discretionary Recession'

Though fashion still accounts for 41 percent of the total teen budget, teen spend in the category declined nearly 20 percent year over year, pointing to a "discretionary recession," according to the 15th semi-annual "Taking Stock With Teens" study by Piper Jaffray, MarketingCharts reports. "We're currently in the 'transition phase' of the fashion cycle and […]

Posted: Friday, May 2nd, 2008

Wii Are Family — Kids Benefit from Social Gaming, Say UK Parents

UK parents say social gaming platforms like the Nintendo Wii have a positive influence in their homes: facilitating peer bonding and encouraging children exercise, according to a new TNS Technology survey, MarketingCharts writes. Below, some results from the study: Social gaming promotes bonding among kids - 52 percent of all users and 64 percent of parents […]

Posted: Thursday, May 1st, 2008

Mobile Display Ads Increase Brand Awareness and Interest

Awareness of and interest in "The Golden Compass" among users exposed to promotional full-screen mobile ads increased significantly, according to results of a mobile ad campaign by Greystripe and New Line Cinema, MarketingCharts reports. Greystripe commissioned Dynamic Logic to measure the campaign's success in raising awareness, interest and intent to see the movie. Survey respondents […]

Posted: Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

CRM Suite Helps SMBs Better Address Disgruntled Yelpers

Yelp has launched a set of tools that enable firms to nurture relationships on the popular review site — whose sip-and-tell clientele have likely burned as many small businesses as they have helped. The suite is available at biz.yelp.com. Business owners may: - Update business information - Directly message users that have reviewed their business - Set alerts for […]

Posted: Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Top 10 Boomer Myths: Separating Fact from Fiction

Preconceived notions about Baby Boomers abound, but many are mere myth, according to the third Quarterly Boomer Report from AARP Services and Focalyst, titled "How Well Do You Know Boomers? Counting Down the Top 10 Boomer Myths," writes MarketingCharts. "Contrary to many common assumptions, Boomers are making retirement obsolete, are very savvy about advertising, and […]

Posted: Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

'Abundantly Affluent' Fastest-Growing Segment of Population

US households with $100,000+ in income are the fastest-growing segment of the population. The US Census Bureau finds they numbered 19.7 million in 2005 and 22.2 million in 2006, an increase of nearly 13 percent, said Unity Marketing - via MarketingCharts. Between 2005 and 2006… Affluent households with incomes from $150,000 to $249,999 grew the fastest. The number of […]

Posted: Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

Gays, Lesbians More Receptive to Blog Ads than Heterosexuals

Online gay and lesbian adults read more blogs than heterosexuals — 51 percent vs. 36 percent — and are more receptive to blog advertising, according to an online national survey by Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications, writes MarketingCharts. A similar question on blog readership was asked in November 2006, when 32 percent of gay and […]

Posted: Monday, April 28th, 2008

Financial Strain on Family Life Tops Issues Most Crucial to Women

Women and their families experience tremendous financial pressure on issues ranging from housing, to credit card debt, to healthcare. As a result, family women are concerned about long-term financial security, according to a Meredith Corporation/NBC Universal survey, writes MarketingCharts. The "What do Women Want?" survey included 3,000 women and covered a range of topics important to […]

Posted: Monday, April 28th, 2008

Mother's Day Gift Spending: This Year, Less is More… Common

84 percent of US consumers will celebrate Mother's Day, but most will scale back on number of gifts and instead purchase one major gift. Participating consumers will spend $138.63 ($0.51 less than last year) on average, according to the National Retail Federation, MarketingCharts writes. "Mom has been saying for decades that it's the thought that counts […]

Posted: Monday, April 28th, 2008

Green Ads: Consumers Recall Them, but Are Skeptical

Consumer recall of advertising with "green" messaging is high. More than one-third of consumers (37.1%) frequently recall green messaging; another third say they recall it occasionally (33.1%), according to a new Burst Media survey, MarketingCharts reports. The online survey, conducted in April 2008 with more than 6,000 web users over 18 years of age, explores how […]

Posted: Friday, April 25th, 2008