Study: Interactive Marketing Gains Influence

Interactive marketing is gaining more influence on consumers’ buying decisions and television’s influence on awareness is decreasing, according to a study released by DoubleClick Monday.

The second annual Touchpoints Survey polled 2,000 respondents in December 2003. It examines the sequence that takes place when customers first learn about products in a variety of categories. Awareness is the initial step, followed by further learning and then purchase decision, for purposes of the study.

The product categories examined included auto, electronics, food, health and beauty, mortgages/investments and credit cards/retail banking, movies, prescription drugs, telecom services, personal/household care and house and home.

For the first time, Internet ads are driving awareness in categories such as personal finance, as well as mortgages and investments, the study said.

Awareness for travel is driven by travel Web sites, credit cards/retail banking by direct mail, mortgages/investments by Internet ads, and personal/household care and home products by print. The influence of television declined significantly in the past year in categories like movies, automotive and electronics.