Marketers out of sync with the way consumers use media

Another interesting finding:

Another indication of this communication gap is the differing reliance on company Web sites. Communicators rank their companies’ own Web sites as the most effective way to share corporate news or issue a response to a crisis, but consumers rank company Web sites sixth and seventh among places they turn to for corporate news and crisis response, respectively.

Other findings:

* U.S. consumers are skeptical of nearly all media outlets and are less likely than a year ago to take information offered by them at face value.

*Media preferences are more personalized than ever. Some 22 percent of U.S. consumers use social networking websites and 19 percent use blogs. And 60 percent of consumers use search engines to find and select their news and information. “The trend toward more personalized media is even stronger among “influencers” – the 10 to 15 percent of the population who initiate changes in their community or society through a variety of activities.”

*There isn’t a whole lot of interest in podcasting; even among 18-24 year-olds, the use of podcasts rose from 8 to 13 percent.

*“A company’s own Web site should not be the primary choice when communicating to stakeholders. While a company Web site provides communicators with a high degree of control over their message, consumers often turn elsewhere for information.”

More here.

Posted by Michael Stoner
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