A new consumer segmentation analysis from Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI), titled "Responsiveness to Ads Across Media," categorizes US adults according to the media via which they prefer to receive advertising messages (segment definitions, below), reports MarketingCharts.

Some 9 percent of US adults belong in the "Ads on Emerging Media Vehicles" segment, which has the youngest median age (35.5) among the six segment. They are most interested in advertising delivered via non-traditional media such as mobile devices and product placement in videogames, movies and TV shows.

Ads delivered via mass media are preferred by 17 percent of US adults. An additional 17 percent of consumers belong in the "Ads on Paper" segment and are most interested in ads delivered via print.

The most populous segment, at 32 percent of US all adults, is labeled "Ad Averse"; that is, they are either uninterested in advertising delivered by any medium or have not been exposed to a particular ad platform.

The 9 percent of US adults who comprise the "Ads on Emerging Media Vehicles" segment are far more likely than the average adult to agree with the following statements (see table, above):

• A celebrity endorsement may influence me to consider or buy a product.
• I'm always one of the first of my friends to try new products or services.
• I follow the latest trends and fashions.
• Brand name is the best indication of quality.

"Consumers who prefer advertising messages delivered through their mobile devices and through product placement tend to be younger, pro-innovation, pro-celebrity and pro-fashion," said Anne Marie Kelly, VP of marketing and strategic planning at MRI.

Responsiveness to Ads Across Media - Consumer Segments

This segmentation classifies consumers according to their interest in advertising across different media:

1. Ads on Emerging Media Vehicles: Members of this segment are most interested in ads delivered through non-traditional media, including mobile devices and product placement in movies, TV shows, and videogames.
2. Ads on the Road: Members of this segment are most interested in advertising on billboards, taxis, buses and trains, at bus stops and train stations, and atop taxicabs.
3. Ads in Mass Media: Advertising delivered through magazines and electronic media such as TV, radio, and the internet appeals the most to this segment.
4. Ads on Paper: Members of this segment are most interested in advertising delivered through print, which they find informative, relaxing and/or inspirational.
5. Ads at Events: The advertising that appeals most to this group is displayed at sports or entertainment events and through product placement in movies and TV shows.
6. Ad Averse: Consumers in this segment are most likely either to be not interested in or to have not been exposed to advertising in TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and the internet.