More than half of leading publishers see attention metrics as next new standard; Publishers identify lack of standardized metrics and research as biggest hurdles

New York, NY (October 22, 2014) – Digital Content Next (DCN), the only trade association that exclusively serves the diverse needs of digital content companies, today reveals research findings showing leading digital publishers are looking to time-based measurement as an emerging industry-standard metric. The DCN research, based on surveys among 25 members and in-depth interviews with nine members, found that all of the surveyed publishers are already using time-based metrics or have plans to do so — and a full 80 percent say they’re interested in transacting on the basis of time.

The findings of the report, How Time-Based Measurement is Grabbing Digital Publishers’ Attention, were shared at DCN’s Time-Based Measurement Day, a members-only gathering of executives from the leading digital content companies that was focused on the future of audience measurement. The program featured a panel of experts including Josh Schwartz, Chief Data Scientist at Chartbeat; Jonah Goodhart, Founder/CEO of Moat; Daniel Rothman, US Director of Marketing & Insight at the Financial Times; and Steve Ahlberg, Vice President, Advertising Solutions and Product Management at Gannett Co., Inc. Ad Age reporter Michael Sebastian moderated the panel.

“The digital publishing media metric of the future will include some form of attention-based metrics,” says Jason Kint, CEO of Digital Content Next. “Valuing content based on the amount of time consumers spend with it provides a meaningful, cross-platform measurement for brand marketers and publishers rather than counting links and clicks. This has the potential to solve a host of industry problems.”

Findings from the DCN report include:

• 80 percent of publishers already use time-based measurement in some form, and 20 percent plan to in the future. In addition, 80 percent are already testing or express an interest in transacting on time.
• 52 percent of publishers say time-based metrics could replace the standard impression as a universal currency for an ad unit; 48 percent say it could also replace click-through rate as a standard. 32 percent feel time-based metrics are not a replacement for any of the currently used metrics.
• 68 percent of publishers identify a lack of standard metrics and measurement as the main obstacle to adopting time as a currency. 48 percent identify lack of research demonstrating time is correlated to ad effectiveness as the main obstacle; 40 percent identify lack of marketer and ad agency education and interest.
• 90 percent of DCN members surveyed indicate that they use time metrics to internally evaluate performance of their sites and content among their editorial and/or sales and ad operations teams. Eighty-five percent of publishers share time-based metrics with agencies and marketers.
• Time based metrics are most often used as proof of engagement/attention or proof of quality of content as part of the sales story.

The research and findings are based on qualitative interviews with senior executives from CNBC Digital, Condé Nast, ESPN, Financial Times, Forbes Media, Gannett Co., Inc., The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Univision Communications, Inc. The interviews took place in July and August 2014; in addition, the research drew on a quantitative survey of 25 DCN members conducted in September 2014.

Perspectives from industry executives at organizations like the 4A’s, Medialink and Simulmedia, are also included in the report. Mike Donahue, EVP of the 4A’s states, “Once we have opportunity to see (viewability) nailed as first step cross platform currency, the sequential next step currency is engagement. Short of scalable, affordable neuro measures (of emotional response), time is the best surrogate to measure engagement.”  ​

The report outlines DCN’s position statements in support of time-based metrics, specifically:

1. Time-based metrics enforce the need for viewability.
2. Time-based metrics create an inventory constraint that will introduce scarcity into the market.
3. Time-based metrics realign pricing with quality by naturally diverting revenue to higher valued content.
4. Time-based metrics provide a better measure of advertising than click-through rate.
5. Time-based metrics work across platforms.

The report also features best practices on how publishers can begin to integrate time-based measurements into their own teams and in conversations with agencies and marketers.

This is the first piece of research DCN has produced since the organization relaunched in September 2014 to renew focus on digital innovation and the creation of opportunities for high-quality digital content companies today and in the future.

To download the report, go to digitalcontentnext.org/research.

***

ABOUT DIGITAL CONTENT NEXT

Founded in June 2001 as the Online Publishers Association, Digital Content Next is the only trade organization dedicated to serving the unique and diverse needs of high-quality digital content companies that manage trusted, direct relationships with consumers and marketers. Digital Content Next produces proprietary research for its members and the public, creates public and private forums to explore and advance key issues that impact digital content brands, and works to educate the public at large on the importance of quality content brands. More information about Digital Content Next is available at www.digitalcontentnext.org.

# # #

Contact: Elizabeth Luke
HIGH10 MEDIA
212 918 2026
[email protected]

Thirteen-year-old association’s new identity signals its focus on digital innovation and the creation of opportunities for high-quality digital content companies today and in the future

New York, NY (September 19, 2014) – The organization formerly known as the Online Publishers Association (OPA) today announces a new name, Digital Content Next, a rebrand that signals a renewed focus on defining and confronting critical, big picture issues that its members face when creating digital content experiences for consumers and marketers.

Digital Content Next (DCN) is the only trade association that exclusively serves the diverse needs of digital content companies that manage direct, trusted relationships with consumers and marketers. With a diverse and powerful group of members – from established media brands such as The New York Times, Discovery Networks and Sports Illustrated, to digital natives, such as Vox, Slate and Business Insider, Digital Content Next’s membership has an unduplicated audience of more than 220 million unique visitors or 100% reach of the U.S. online population.*

The association hired a new CEO in May of this year, Jason Kint, former SVP and GM of CBS Interactive’s Sports division, and welcomed six new members to its elite membership of 55 brands in early September.

Kint’s focus for Digital Content Next is on guiding its members and the industry and setting the agenda for discussions on issues ranging from net neutrality to revenue innovation to privacy.

“Our members wake up every morning thinking about how to create great content experiences and monetize them,” Kint said. “Together we must pave the way for the content companies of the future to do the same, with powerful, dependable content that brings large audiences to their screens, engages and entertains them and compels them to share across other platforms.”

Digital Content Next will serve as a focal point for issues affecting digital content companies, providing thought leadership and proprietary research through its newly-launched content hub, InContext; hosting highly-focused member events to facilitate open and honest discussion; voicing issues of concern from a legislative perspective and creating a dialogue with the industry-at-large through conferences and summits like its Content All Stars for media and marketing leaders, held yesterday in New York City.

“The entire landscape has changed and the word ‘online’ doesn’t feel as relevant as it did 13 years ago with digital integrated into every corner of our lives,” says Kint, new CEO of Digital Content Next. “We have a responsibility to be forward-thinking in how we help our members and the industry overall imagine their future and to provide them the guidance and shared intelligence to make the bold decisions required to lead and innovate in our industry.

As part of the rebrand, Digital Content Next outlined the core values that underscore the work it does with members, policy makers, advertisers and agencies every day in its Trust Principles, also announced today:

1. We believe in an open Internet in which consumers and marketers may directly associate with our brands.

2. We are aware of the many choices of consumers across more and more platforms. We will honor their trust in our brands and relentlessly advocate for their respect.

3. We are aware of the many choices of marketers across more and more platforms. We will shine a light on the falsehoods and misconceptions in the modern digital marketplace in order to defend members’ businesses, particularly in the areas of ad tech and cross media attribution.

4. We will have a seat at the table representing trusted first party relationships in any discussion among advertisers, policy makers and the press.

5. We will create a trusted forum among members to share strategic insights, best practices and tactics in order to ensure a vibrant original content marketplace.

“The companies that millions of people turn to for their news, commentary, sports, entertainment, educational and professional information rely on us to understand how they can best serve their audiences and bolster their businesses,” says Martin Nisenholtz, who founded the Online Publishers Association. “With this reset, we will be working to push the industry forward to its next level of development.”

Plenty NYC (plentynyc.com), a full service advertising agency specializing in the creation of captivating digital campaigns, designed the Digital Content Next visual identity and new website.

*comScore Media Metrix, January 2014

ABOUT DIGITAL CONTENT NEXT

Founded in June 2001 as the Online Publishers Association, Digital Content Next is the only trade organization dedicated to serving the unique and diverse needs of high-quality digital content companies that manage trusted, direct relationships with consumers and marketers. Digital Content Next produces proprietary research for its members and the public, creates public and private forums to explore and advance key issues that impact digital content brands, and works to educate the public at large on the importance of quality content brands. More information about Digital Content Next is available at www.digitalcontentnext.org.

Digital Subscriptions Offer Myriad of Pluses for Publishers Including: New Revenue, Key Data, and Younger Audiences

New York, NY (Dec. 11, 2013) The Online Publishers Association (OPA) today releases research findings showing that a wide range of digital content publishers are leveraging paid models as part of their overall growth strategies. Among the newspaper and magazine members of the OPA, 95% have a paid subscription strategy and, according to the OPA Report: Digital Content Subscription Strategies Pay Off for Publishers, digital subscriptions are positively impacting revenue, attracting younger audiences, garnering valuable consumer data and enhancing ad sales.

“Paid models are proving to drive important business growth for these OPA members,” said OPA President Pam Horan. “The success they have seen illustrates the deep engagement consumers have with the content they love and, ultimately, their willingness to pay for it.”

The OPA Report: Digital Content Subscription Strategies Pay Off for Publishers highlights some of the common themes digital content publishers are encountering today, including finding ways to attract new subscribers; structuring and staffing digital marketing teams; balancing editorial decision making with data-driven content development; and the product development requirements for various digital platforms.

The research is based on interviews which took place between August and October 2013 with senior executives from Condé Nast, Consumer Reports, The Financial Times, Gannett Community Newspapers, Harvard Business Review, Meredith Corporation, The New York Times, Time, Inc., and The Wall Street Journal.

The Report shows that publishers are increasingly using the data acquired from digital subscribers to drive engagement, reduce churn and enhance ad sales. Publishers are also developing methods for evolving content development, staffing, business structuring and consumer awareness to support digital paid content strategies.

“First-party subscriber data has opened up a wealth of opportunities for our members to better serve their consumers and advertisers,” says Horan. “This includes delivering relevant content to subscribers while offering advertisers compelling ways to create deeper connections with the right readers.”

The following statements from OPA members interviewed in the OPA Report: Digital Content Subscription Strategies Pay Off for Publishers represent some key takeaways:

• “One lesson learned is that the digital subscription business should not be treated in isolation. By integrating decisions around this part of the business with others, we enhance our overall performance. Our decision to bundle the digital offering into print, for instance, prevented digital from cannibalizing print.”– Denise Warren, EVP, Digital Products & Services, The New York Times
• “Digital subscription requires very different circulation sales and marketing skills. To address that we have invested in ongoing employee training and put data at the heart of our organization” – Jocelyn Cripps, EVP, Global Marketing, The Financial Times
• “We have grown advertising business every single year since we’ve introduced subscription. Because of the deep relationship we have with the audience and the data we have on our subscribers we can guarantee that advertisers reach very specific scarce audiences. We consistently achieve a premium above market CPM.” – Rob Grimshaw, Managing Director, FT.com
• “We hired outside the publishing industry for consumer marketing, editorial and sales roles. We have been particularly keen to hire digitally savvy editors and marketers with experience in mobile, social, and e-commerce.” – Kim Miller, VP, Digital & Traditional Consumer Marketing, PEOPLE brand, Time Inc.
• “We take inspiration from companies like Amazon, which spend a lot of time acquiring a customer and then spend an equal amount of time programmatically [i.e. applying data science] keeping the consumer engaged.” – Michael Rolnick, Head of Digital / Chief Digital Officer, The Wall Street Journal

To download the report, please click here.

About the OPA
Founded in June 2001, the Online Publishers Association (OPA) is a not-for-profit trade organization dedicated to championing the content people love by helping to fuel the growth and vitality of high quality news, information and entertainment brands in the digital age. The OPA elevates the importance of original content by delivering thought leadership, providing a platform for member interaction and advocating for our members among advertisers, policymakers, and the press. The Association also produces proprietary research on advertising and media consumption online for its members and the public, creates public and private forums to explore and advance key issues that impact content brands, and works to educate the public at large on the importance of quality content brands. Members of OPA represent the highest standards in online content creation with respect to editorial quality and integrity, credibility and accountability. OPA’s membership has an unduplicated audience of 220 million unique visitors or 100% reach of the U.S. online population (comScore Media Metrix, January 2013). For more information, visit www.online-publishers.org

Media Contact:
Elizabeth Luke
HIGH10 MEDIA
212.918.2026
[email protected]

76% of OPA branded sites run native executions with newly created publisher content

New York, NY (July 10, 2013) The Online Publishers Association (OPA) has released “Premium Content Brands Are Native Naturals” a research study of native advertising offerings by premium content brands which includes marketer goals, metrics and best practices. Among the findings are that 81% of OPA members find marketers are primarily using native advertising on their sites to increase consumer engagement with advertiser brands and 81% also want to leverage publisher brand equity to achieve brand lift. The study, which includes quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with OPA members, was conducted by Radar Research in May 2013 and is available now on the OPA website.

The study also reveals that 73% of OPA members surveyed currently offer native advertising solutions, with the potential to reach 90% by the end of 2013. OPA members concur that the definition of native includes integration into the main site (93%), content running within the editorial stream (86%) and clear delineation and labeling as ad content (79%).

“Native advertising is a natural outgrowth of the kind of collaboration OPA members have done with marketers for years in the form of custom programs,” says OPA President Pam Horan. “Our research reveals that marketers continue to look to partner with OPA brands to leverage their expertise in content creation and to take advantage of the brand halo that our members offer.”

For the measurement of campaign impact, marketers are primarily adopting the metrics employed by digital content brands, with 57% of OPA publishers reporting that marketers are using “engagement” and “time spent” as the most important measurement criteria, followed by 43% indicating “traffic.”

OPA members also shared best practices for editorial, sales, marketing and legal, which include:

• Provide as much value to the reader as regular content
• Label native advertising content to guarantee transparency and clarity
• Ensure that native content mirrors discoverability of editorial through search and social media
• Develop clear editorial standards and practices, for instance training marketers if they are providing content, or for monitoring audience posts or comments

“The findings underscore the fundamentals, namely that successful native advertising programs rely on an inherently compelling destination with a dedicated audience to thrive and that the content itself has to reflect the quality expectations of that audience to warrant engagement,” says Horan.

To download the report, please click here.

About the OPA
Founded in June 2001, the Online Publishers Association (OPA) is a not-for-profit trade organization dedicated to representing high-quality digital content brands before the advertising community, the press, the government and the public. The OPA produces proprietary research on advertising and media consumption online for our members and the public, creates public and private forums to explore and advance key issues that impact content brands, and works to educate the public at large on the importance of quality content brands. Members of OPA represent the highest standards in online content creation with respect to editorial quality and integrity, credibility and accountability. OPA’s membership has an unduplicated audience of 220 million unique visitors or 100% reach of the U.S. online population (comScore Media Metrix, January 2013). For more information, visit www.online-publishers.org.

Media Contact:
Elizabeth Luke
HIGH10 MEDIA
212.918.2026
[email protected]

NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2012 — The Online Publishers Association (OPA) has released “Branding on Display”, a study providing insight into the role branding plays in online advertising as well as agency and marketer preferences of media for achieving their branding objectives. The study found that agency and marketer decision-makers report significantly higher levels of satisfaction with Premium Content Publishers (78%) than with Facebook (51%). Premium Content Publishers outpace Facebook across key advertising priorities, including: offering brand safety (71% vs. 36%); having the best creative options for brand-focused ad campaigns (64% vs. 26%); capturing the attention of the audience (63% vs. 29%); and offering a platform where the ads are considered viewable (59% vs. 42%).

According to “Branding on Display”, 47% of decision makers believe Premium Content Publishers are the best media for brand-focused advertising campaigns, compared to 16% preferring Social Media, 13% favoring Video Ad Networks and 11% preferring Portals. Premium Content Publishers are also considered superior to Social Media at delivering the most important branding objectives: increasing consideration of brand (79% vs. 55%); increasing brand preference (84% vs. 54%); improving brand favorability (81% vs. 54%); and increasing purchase intent (78% vs. 50%).

“We wanted to better understand marketers’ priorities for delivering their brand objectives online. The research undoubtedly demonstrates that decision makers value Premium Content Publishers for their branding messages over all other media,” said Pam Horan, President, OPA. “With 63% of marketers perceiving Premium Content Publishers as a superior channel to reach their brand goals compared to Social Media at only 27%, the message is very clear: marketers believe that their brand campaigns benefit from the environment offered by top media brands.”

Other key findings from “Branding on Display” include:

• Classic Brand Advertising Goals Remain the Priority: For brand-focused advertising campaigns, the primary goals for marketers and agencies are: increase consideration for a brand (46%); increase brand preference (43%), improve brand favorability (36%) and improve purchase intent (34%).
• Brands Value Brands: 61% of marketers and agencies surveyed believe that Premium Content Publishers provide the best media for brand quality and image, compared to 20% on Social Media, and 48% believe publishers provide the most relevant content or context for their branding campaign, compared to only 23% on Social Media.
• Delivering Performance Objectives: Premium Content Publishers also are perceived as media that delivers on performance objectives with 64% responding that they use it to increase traffic to a website or store location; 49% to increase sales from a website or store location and 45% to increase response to a special offer.
• Target Audience, Objectives and Quality/Imagine Priorities: For those who believe that premium content publishers are the best media for brand-focused advertising, 73% cite that it best delivers the target audience; 63% cite that it best achieves branding objectives and 61% cite that it provides the best media brand quality/image.
• Audience Segments Advertisers Must Reach: For brand-focused digital advertising, 74% of marketers and agencies target Gen X (30-44), 56% target Baby Boomers (45-65), and 48% target Gen Y (20-29). Decision makers report that Premium Content Publishers equal or surpass Social Media in reaching two of the top three target segments: Gen X at 27% and 45% of Baby Boomers, compared to Social Media, at 24% and 5%, respectively.

“While Social Media is perceived by marketers and agencies as a platform that delivers messages to their target audience and overall reach, Premium Content Publishers are comparable with both priorities,” continued Horan. “Further, as ROI continues to be top of mind for marketers, our study drilled down on perceptions of measurement of brand-focused campaigns on both Premium Content Publishers and Facebook, the largest Social Media platform. We found that 55% of respondents believe they are better able to measure the ROI on Premium Content Publishers, compared to 27% on Facebook, and 55% perceive they can better measure brand lift on a Premium Content Publishers, versus 30% on Facebook.”

The OPA collaborated with Advertiser Perceptions to conduct the study. Advertiser Perceptions fielded an online survey of 251 marketers and advertising agency executives, between August 7, 2012 and August 15, 2012. Participants were required to be involved in video and display advertisement decision-making, have a $1 million minimum digital ad spend over that past 12 months and be involved in brand-focused advertising.

To download a copy of the study’s findings, please click here.

About the OPA

Founded in June 2001, the Online Publishers Association is an industry trade organization whose mission is to advance the interests of high-quality online publishers before the advertising community, the press, the government and the public. Members of OPA represent the highest standards in Internet publishing with respect to editorial quality and integrity, credibility and accountability. OPA’s membership has an unduplicated audience of 221.2 million unique visitors or 100% reach of the U.S. online population (comScore Media Metrix, January 2012). For more information, visit www.online-publishers.org.

Media Contact:
Emily Peck
kwittken + company
646.747.7149
[email protected]

OPA Study Defines Today’s Smartphone User: Over Two-Thirds of Smartphone Owners Report They Can’t Live Without Their Smartphones; Content Consumption Continues to Dominate

New York, NY – August 20, 2012 − The Online Publishers Association (OPA) has released “A Portrait of Today’s Smartphone User,” providing insight into the developing attitudes and behaviors of today’s smartphone consumer. The study found that over two-thirds of smartphone owners reported that they “cannot live without” their smartphones.

The OPA collaborated with Frank N. Magid Associates, Inc. to conduct the study, which found that the population of smartphone users is growing rapidly. An estimated 44% of the U.S. internet population, ages 8-64, owns a smartphone (107 million consumers*), up from 31% in 2011 (73 million consumers*) and expected to reach 57% by Q2 2013 (142 million consumers*). Aside from making phone calls, 93% of smartphone users regularly access content and information above any other activity, followed by accessing the internet (59%) and checking email (58%). The primary types of content smartphone consumers access are weather information (47%), video (31%), local news (29%) and national news (24%).

“Over the past few years, there has been an undeniable shift in the way consumers access content and information as well as stay informed and entertained. Consumers now expect the world at their fingertips anytime, anywhere, and publishers have worked vigorously to optimize their mobile sites and create apps that cater to this demand and behavioral shift,” said Pam Horan, President of the OPA. “Our study revealed that smartphones are providing a great monetization opportunity for publishers. With over half of smartphone users accessing content on a daily basis, this growing smartphone population is showing a willingness to pay for content. Twenty-four percent of users report that they have purchased any type of content for viewing on their smartphones.”

The study also assessed the attitudes of smartphone users towards mobile advertising and revealed that in the six months prior to the survey, 39% of the all smartphone content consumers have been driven to take action after seeing a smartphone ad. Fifteen percent of all smartphone content consumers have clicked through an advertisement, 12% have used a special offer or coupon and 12% have made a purchase either on a PC or at a store. According to the study, purchasers of smartphone content were a much more engaged and active audience: 79% have taken action after seeing an ad, 31% have clicked through an ad, 30% have used a special offer or coupon, 27% have made a purchase on a PC and 24% have made a purchase at a store as a direct result of an ad.

“Smartphone content purchasers are a substantial subset of the general smartphone population that is showing not only receptiveness to ads but also more positive opinions towards ads than smartphone content consumers as a whole. Twenty-nine percent of smartphone content purchasers indicate that smartphone ads are eye-catching, 26% report that ads are relevant and 25% report that ads are unique and interesting, compared to 17%, 15% and 14%, respectively, for all smartphone content consumers,” added Horan.

Other key findings from “A Portrait of Today’s Smartphone User,” include:

• Large smartphone app market: 96% of smartphone content consumers downloaded apps in the past year averaging 36 apps; 14% of all smartphone apps downloaded by those reporting are paid.
• Android leads iOS: Android device penetration (46%) continues to lead iOS penetration (35%), with both platforms growing in share compared to last year; Blackberry and all other platform penetration share (16% and 11%, respectively) declined rapidly compared to last year (25% and 14%, respectively, in 2011).
• Smartphone users pay for content: 24% of smartphone users report that they have purchased content for viewing on their smartphones, with 22% of smartphone content buyers having purchased video, 21% entertainment content, 21% books and 19% weather content.
• Smartphone is the preferred media device for many: 54% of multiple mobile device owners prefer using their smartphone for at least one of a range of activities over PC/laptops and tablets.
• Smartphone users watch plenty of video: 68% of smartphone users who watch video on their smartphones regularly watch short-form news and entertainment videos, which includes news, sports, TV show and weather clips; the next largest smartphone video category is user-generated content (e.g. YouTube), with 57% of those who watch videos on smartphones watching those types of videos.
• Smartphone users are cross-platform consumers: Smartphone users have strong cross-platform tendencies, with 84% identifying themselves as two-screen multitaskers (TV + mobile phone/tablet) and 64% identifying themselves as three-screen multitaskers (TV + PC + mobile phone/tablet).

Frank N. Magid Associates fielded a nationally representative online survey of 2,540 people, ages 8 to 64 years old, between March 19 and March 26, 2012. The study follows the June 2012 release of “A Portrait of Today’s Tablet User – Wave II,” a study sponsored by the Online Publishers Association and conducted by Frank N. Magid Associates that unveiled a range of trends on the attitudes and behaviors of tablet users.

To download a copy of the study’s findings, please click here.

About the OPA

Founded in June 2001, the Online Publishers Association is an industry trade organization whose mission is to advance the interests of high-quality online publishers before the advertising community, the press, the government and the public. Members of OPA represent the standards in Internet publishing with respect to editorial quality and integrity, credibility and accountability. OPA’s membership has an unduplicated audience of 221.2 million unique visitors or 100% reach of the U.S. online population (comScore Media Metrix, January 2012). For more information, visit www.online-publishers.org.

Media Contact:
Emily Peck
kwittken + company
646.747.7149
[email protected]

About Frank N Magid Associates, Inc.

Frank N. Magid Associates, Inc. is a leading research-based consulting firm that helps its clients become more profitable by solving problems and helping them take advantage of opportunities. For 54 years, we have carefully studied human behavior and how communication affects it, and we use this perspective to help clients develop and market products and services that successfully change or adapt to consumer attitudes and behaviors. Clients include Google, The Walt Disney Company, Verizon Wireless, Electronic Arts, UnitedHealth Group, MetLife, Dr. Pepper/Snapple, and numerous others. For more information, visit www.magid.com.

* Source: Estimated U.S. internet population, ages 8-64, is derived from U.S. Census Bureau and eMarketer data.

In its Second Year, Study Finds Accessing Content Continues to be the Dominant Activity; Tablet Advertising Driving Strong Purchase

New York, NY − June 18, 2012 − The Online Publishers Association (OPA) has released “A Portrait of Today’s Tablet User – Wave II,” a study unveiling a range of trends on the attitudes and behaviors of tablet users. Accessing content and information was found to be the dominant activity on the device (94%), followed by accessing the internet (67%) and checking email (66%). The study also revealed that tablet users’ primary content-related activities include: watching video (54%), getting weather information (49%), and accessing national news (37%) and entertainment content (36%).

The OPA collaborated with Frank N. Magid Associates, Inc. to conduct the study. Magid fielded a nationally-representative online survey of 2,540 people, ages 8 to 64 years old between March 19 and March 26, 2012. The survey found that current U.S. tablet adoption for internet users 8 to 64 years old is at 31% in 2012 (74MM tablet users), up from 12% in 2011 (28MM tablet users) and is expected to reach 47% (117MM tablet users) by Q2 2013.*

“The growing base of tablet users is also showing a healthy appetite for paid content with 61% having purchased tablet content in the past year,” said Pam Horan, President of the OPA. “Considering tablets have only been available for a little over two years, the findings of this study truly underscore the possibilities for publishers to grow their business as consumers are willing to open their wallets in order to have original content at their fingertips.”

“The survey also showcased great opportunities for advertisers as 38% of tablet users have made a purchase after having seen tablet advertising. We also found that tablet users purchased an average of $359 in products from the device in the past year,” noted Horan. “In addition to strong purchasing trends, 29% of tablet users also indicated that tablet advertising drives them to research products and 23% have clicked on an advertisement.”

Other key findings from “A Portrait of Today’s Tablet User – Wave II” include:

• Tablets have become embedded in users’ lives with 74% using the device daily and 60% using it several times a day;
• Tablet users spend an average of 13.9 hours per week with their tablets;
• 92% of video watched on the tablet is short form news and entertainment — which includes sports, weather, news and TV show clips — followed by 64% viewing user generated content (e.g. YouTube);
• Paid apps account for 23% of all tablet apps downloaded in the past year; and
• The tablet app market has doubled with an estimated $2.6B spent in 2012, up from $1.4B in 2011*.

“The survey also found that tablet users are increasingly becoming cross-platform consumers, with 32% of tablet users simultaneously using two screens for 3.1 hours per day and 29% simultaneously using three screens for 2.8 hours per day,” Horan noted. “The two and three screen audiences are also more likely to purchase a product after seeing tablet advertising, then the general tablet population, providing an incredible opportunity for cross-platform advertising campaigns.”

To download a copy of the study’s findings, click here.

About the OPA

Founded in June 2001, the Online Publishers Association is an industry trade organization whose mission is to advance the interests of high-quality online publishers before the advertising community, the press, the government and the public. Members of OPA represent the standards in Internet publishing with respect to editorial quality and integrity, credibility and accountability. OPA’s membership has an unduplicated audience of 221.2 million unique visitors or 100% reach of the U.S. online population (comScore Media Metrix, January 2012). For more information, visit www.online-publishers.org.

Media Contact:
Emily Peck
kwittken + company
646.747.7149
[email protected]

About Frank N Magid Associates, Inc.

Frank N. Magid Associates, Inc. is a leading research-based consulting firm that helps its clients become more profitable by solving problems and helping them take advantage of opportunities. We are unique because, for 54 years, we have carefully studied human behavior and how communication affects it. We possess an uncanny understanding of what and how marketing and communication will motivate people to behave in certain ways. This understanding provides us with a unique consumer lens through which we analyze and develop strategies

We use this expertise and perspective to help clients across industries develop and market products and services that successfully change or adapt to consumer attitudes, thereby influencing behavior in ways that lead to optimized financial performance. Clients include leaders in their respective industries, including Google, The Walt Disney Company, Verizon Wireless, Electronic Arts, Best Buy, General Mills, Nestlé, UnitedHealth Group, MetLife, Dr. Pepper/Snapple, and numerous others. Magid’s 150 professionals demonstrate extensive experience in media, marketing, communications, product development, market research, operations, investment strategy and strategy consulting. We work with clients around the world from offices in New York, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Dallas, San Francisco and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

* Source: Estimated U.S. internet population, ages 8-64, is derived from U.S. Census Bureau and eMarketer data.

12% of the total U.S. population own or use a tablet, Expected to rise to 23% by early 2012

New York, NY − June 22, 2011 − Today, the Online Publishers Association (OPA) released a new study, “A Portrait of Today’s Tablet User,” that was commissioned to learn about consumer usage of tablets, content consumption preferences, and implications for advertising on the device. The study found that tablet users view tablets as their preferred reading device over computers and printed media for many types of content, including weather, entertainment, news, sports and financial information. A copy of the study’s findings is available at www.online-publishers.org.

The OPA collaborated with Frank N. Magid Associates., Inc. to conduct this study. Magid fielded a nationally representative online survey of 2,482 people, ages 8 to 64 years old, to evaluate the attitudes and behaviors of tablet owners and users between April 15 and April 20, 2011. The study found that 12% of today’s US online population (ages 8 to 64) currently owns or uses a tablet device and an incremental 11% intend to purchase a tablet device in the next 12 months.

“79% of app downloaders paid for content in the last year, which provides a great opportunity for publishers to generate new revenue streams,” said Pam Horan, President of the OPA. “The study also revealed that consumers prefer content bundling and payment options to buy content through a variety of sources including direct from publishers rather than only through app retail stores.”

Key findings from “A Portrait of Today’s Tablet User” include:

• Today’s tablet users represent 12% of the US internet population ages 8 – 64; that number is projected to grow to 23% by early 2012—a group that represents an estimated 54 million people
• 87% of tablet users are accessing content and information, the dominant activity for this device
• 93% of tablet users have downloaded apps; the average tablet user has downloaded 20 apps
• 79% of app downloaders have paid for apps in the last 12 months; 26% of all apps downloaded are paid
• On average, those who have downloaded apps on tablets have spent $53 on apps in the past 12 months
• In addition to iTunes, Amazon and Google, 29% of tablet users would prefer to buy apps from their cable company or internet provider and 25% would prefer to buy their apps directly from publishers

“The tablet also provides a rich platform for advertisers with 46% indicating that they found tablet advertising within newspaper and magazine apps to be relevant, unique and interesting,” continued Horan.

Additional insights regarding tablet users and usage preferences include:

• 60% of tablet users are males; 48% are 18-34 years old
• 43% of tablet users have HH income in excess of $50,000
• 56% of tablet users who watch video watch full-length TV and 55% watch full-length movies

To download the report, please click here.

About the OPA

Founded in June 2001, the Online Publishers Association is an industry trade organization whose mission is to advance the interests of high-quality online publishers before the advertising community, the press, the government and the public. Members of OPA represent the standards in Internet publishing with respect to editorial quality and integrity, credibility and accountability. OPA’s membership has an unduplicated audience of 172.5 million unique visitors or 83% reach of the U.S. online population (comScore Media Metrix, January 2010). For more information, visit www.online-publishers.org.

About Frank N. Magid Associates

Frank N. Magid Associates is a leading research-based strategic consulting firm that helps clients solve business problems and take advantage of opportunities. Magid brings unique frameworks for solving problems and seizing opportunities to each engagement, all informed and driven by unparalleled consumer and stakeholder research, market knowledge, and experience-based perspectives. For fifty-three years we have carefully studied human behavior and how communication affects it. This understanding provides us with a unique consumer lens through which we approach each engagement. Magid is particularly well-known in the media, communications and entertainment industries, but is increasingly conducting engagements across many non-media consumer-facing and B2B industries.

67 Percent of Participants Revisit the Ads after Spending Time on the Page

NEW YORK, NY – November 2, 2010 – The Online Publishers Association (OPA) today released a new study, “Biometric Evaluation: Assessing the Effectiveness of the OPA Ad Unit,” that found that 90 percent of participants notice OPA Ad Units in the first 10 seconds of being on a webpage and users who fixated on the OPA Ad Units during the same timeframe were as emotionally engaged with the advertising as with the rest of the webpage content. The study further revealed that 67 percent of users returned to look at the OPA Ad Units after spending time elsewhere on the webpage.

OPA partnered with Innerscope Research, Inc., the leader in using biometrics to deliver emotion-based consumer insights, to study the impact and advertising effectiveness of the OPA Ad Units. Since traditional research methods are limited in their ability to measure how the end user specifically engages with advertising, Innerscope’s technology allowed the OPA to better understand the impact of the OPA Ad Units, which are designed to provide a platform for marketers to deliver their brand experiences as opposed to encouraging consumers to click. OPA Ad Units, which include the Pushdown, the Fixed Panel and the XXL Box, were introduced in July of 2009.

“A key question for advertisers is whether consumers notice their ad and if they engage with it; through Innerscope’s biometric technology we found that OPA Ad Units are having significant impact in driving emotional engagement,” said Pam Horan, President of the OPA. “We can actually see a participants’ eye tracking activity as they view the ad, read the content, and then return to the ad. The findings show that OPA Ad Units are not only drawing attention back to the advertising, but are also generating significant interest and therefore are a very effective platform for brand marketers to deliver messages.”

Additional results from “Biometric Evaluation: Assessing the Effectiveness of the OPA Ad Unit” include:

• 96 percent of participants pay attention to OPA Ad Units while naturally surfing
• 73 percent of users who fixated on units after the first ten seconds displayed a stronger emotional response to the advertising than to the rest of the webpage
• On average it takes 0.6 seconds to fixate on an OPA Ad Unit
• On average, participants fixate over 15 times on OPA Ad Units
  40 percent of these fixations occur after the first 10 seconds of being on a webpage

Study participants were directed to the homepages of three OPA member sites — CNN.com, MSNBC.com and NYTimes.com — and given the option to select from a specific group of top stories that featured evergreen content. These homepages and particular article pages were recreated for the purposes of this study so that an OPA Ad Unit could be randomly presented on the targeted article pages. Nine brand advertisers were involved in the study, including Cleveland Clinic, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, Microsoft Bing, Unilever and Westin Hotels. Once a participant surfed away from a target article by clicking a link to another article, they could freely browse the rest of the news websites, creating a natural reading experience.

“We have been employing OPA Ad Units for a number of Razorfish clients since the OPA members launched them last year and have found them to be great for creating and reinforcing brand engagement,” said Julie Weitzner, VP Media, Razorfish. “The units provide us with a strong platform to deliver great creative and have proven to be powerful tools to engage website visitors.”

To download the report, please click here.

About the OPA

Founded in June 2001, the Online Publishers Association is an industry trade organization whose mission is to advance the interests of high-quality online publishers before the advertising community, the press, the government and the public. Members of OPA represent the standards in Internet publishing with respect to editorial quality and integrity, credibility and accountability. OPA’s membership has an unduplicated audience of 172.5 million unique visitors or 83% reach of the U.S. online population (comScore Media Metrix, January 2010). For more information, visit www.online-publishers.org.

About Innerscope

Innerscope Research, Inc. is dedicated to solving difficult market research questions by measuring and analyzing unconscious emotional responses to media and marketing stimuli. With its breakthrough Biometric Monitoring System™, Innerscope accurately predicts consumer behaviors, providing Fortune 100 advertisers and media companies with an unprecedented level of consumer insight. Founded by Harvard and MIT scientists, Innerscope leverages the latest advances in biometrics, neuroscience and eye tracking to measure moment-to-moment emotional engagement, the primary driver of behavior and choice. For more information, visit www.innerscope.com.