Did you know? News media ads inspire action

News media ads are most effective at generating awareness among older readers, says a new research report.

Research from News Media Canada, conducted in February 2019, explored the action taken among readers as a result of viewing print and digital newspaper ads.  Printed newspaper ads generated awareness for a product/service or sale among 63% of readers 18+ and 71% of readers 50+ years old.  The printed product is clearly most effective for older adults, as the majority of awareness is generated from printed newspapers (see chart below).

The research examined a series of actions taken due to exposure to news media ads (printed newspaper or newspaper website).

  • Visited a store (in-person or online) – almost two thirds (64%) of readers 50+ visited a store after seeing newspaper advertising
  • Bought a product/service – print ads are a key purchase driver among the 58% of readers 50+ who were inspired to make a purchase
  • Went online to find more information about a product/service – 57% of readers 18+
  • Looked for more offline information about a product/service – 39% of readers age 35+

This research, conducted in February 2019, surveyed 800 Canadians in all provinces.  The study was managed by Totum Research and was conducted online in English and French.