Linkages Between Online and Offline Promotion
New Australian research commissioned by Outrider has shown that 80% of consumers use online research to inform their purchase decision.
The research, which had 40 categories, shows that there is a need for online and offline marketing to be balanced in order to achieve the greatest benefits.
The study implemented by Research International proved that one third of consumers start their online research from search engines. Majority of those would first conduct an unbranded keyword search. Moreover, search engines are used throughout the whole process of consumer research: 27% conduct keyword searches through midway, and only 9% search prior to purchase.
Another interesting fact that was received after this research was that more and more consumers were researching online for Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) that traditionally wasn’t such a popular category with online research.
This trend is becoming more and more prevalent in todays society. There is a mindset change. More and more people are turning to search engines to for information and research. Take an example. A company uses a billboard to create awareness for an offer for its new product. When the awareness campaign starts to pay dividends and the consumer is ready to make a purchase, the most convenient way to retrieve information about that offer is through search. By exploiting the strong linkages between the two media types, companies can maximise their campaign results.