The Lives and Attitudes of News Digital Media's Audience

Australia's Online Home: The Lives and Attitudes of 10,000 Online Australians

News Digital Media today released the findings of its 5th Insight Report – Australia’s Online Home: The Lives and Attitudes of 10,000 Online Australians.

The views of more than 10,000 of the 6.8 million Australians who visit a News Digital Media site each month have been compiled to provide in-depth information about the motivations and behaviour of different audience segments online.

 News Digital Media’s chief commercial officer, Ed Smith, said the report reveals a clear differentiation in brand preferences between the different audience segments across more than 20 NDM properties.

“The Digital Insight Report shows not only what brands are favoured by different audience segments, but also where they can be found on our network, what motivates them, what they do online and why,” Mr Smith said.

 “This in-depth understanding of our audiences enables us to work more strategically with our advertisers by providing them with a clearer picture of who they can reach with each of the properties in our network.”

The News Digital Media Insight Report – Australia’s Online Home found that while women might love to shop, it is men who love to spend.

The predominantly male “influencers” segment (those who believe they have a lot of influence over their friend’s attitudes and behaviours) is the group most likely to be planning major purchases over the next 12 months, with over 50 percent planning to purchase a computer, over 40 percent planning to purchase a mobile phone and almost 40 percent planning to buy a new TV.

 “Almost 80 percent of men feel that quality is more important than price. Thirty-seven percent think it’s worth paying extra to have the latest gadgets and technologies compared to 25 percent of women, and they are two-thirds more likely to purchase new technology when it is first released,” Mr Smith said.

The News Digital Media Insight Report – Australia’s Online Home also found:

• Despite the global economic crisis, more than 70 percent of all respondents are planning to take a holiday in the next 12 months.
• When we’re not travelling, computers (39 percent) and mobile phones (33 percent) are top of the purchasing list for the next 12 months followed by TVs (29 percent) and cars (27 percent). And when we’re looking to buy, 75 percent say quality is more important than price.
• The Report found that 60 percent of the NDM audience have favourite brands for most things they buy, and they tend to stick to them. As a whole, NDM audience brand preferences include: Qantas, Woolworths, Apple, Harvey Norman, Sony, Nokia, Telstra, CBA and Subway.
• Women are more likely to be found at taste.com.au, vogue.com.au, homehints.com.au, whereilive.com.au, truelocal.com.au, and the entertainment sections of news.com.au, heraldsun.com.au, dailytelegraph.com.au, couriermail.com.au and perthnow.com.au. They are more likely to choose: Virgin Blue, Coles, Toyota, Holden, LG or Panasonic, Nokia or Samsung and McDonalds.
• Men are more likely to be found at AustralianIT.com.au, cricinfo, carsguide.com.au, soccernet, Times Online, Wall St Journal, and the sports sections of the heraldsun.com.au, dailytelegraph.com.au, couriermail.com.au, adelaidenow.com.au and perthnow.com.au. They are also more likely to choose: Singapore Airlines, BMW or Ford, Apple, JB Hi Fi, Sony, Nivea and KFC or Hungry Jacks.
• People under 30 are more likely to be found at: vogue.com.au, moshtix, CareerOne.com.au, SportingPulse, soccernet, cricinfo, daily telegraph.com.au, heraldsun.com.au and New Your Post; and are more likely to choose: Jetstar, BMW, Apple, JB Hi Fi, Vodafone or 3, CBA, McDonalds or KFC.
• Males under 35 years earning over $100,000, considered ‘influencers’ are more likely to be found at couriermail.com.au, dailytelegraph.com.au, AustralianIT.com.au, news.com.au, GetPrice.com.au, The Punch, truelocal.com.au, CareerOne.com.au, and moshtix and are more likely to choose: BMW, Apple, JB Hi Fi, Sony, Optus or Vodafone.
• Families are more likely to be found at: news.com.au, carsguide.com.au, cricinfo, homehints.com.au, SportingPulse, taste.com.au and GetPrice.com.au. They are more value conscious and are likely to choose: Qantas, Holden, HP or Dell, Harvey Norman, Panasonic, Telstra and ANZ.
• Business decision-makers theaustralian.com.au, news.com.au/business, AustralianIT.com.au, Times Online and Wall St Journal. They love new technology and gadgets and are likely to choose: BMW, Apple, BOSE, Blackberry and Telstra.
• The over 60s have more time on their hands and like to keep up with what’s happening in their local community. As such, they are more likely to be found at adelaidenow.com.au, couriermail.com.au, New York Post, Times Online and themercury.com.au. They are also more likely to choose: ALDI or IGA, Ford, Harvey Norman, Panasonic, Telstra and Subway.

According to Netview, News Digital Media’s Australian audience represents 48 percent of Australia’s internet population and is:

• Predominantly aged between 18-49 years (73 percent)
• More male (56 percent) than female (44 percent). On our women’s lifestyle sites, this increases to almost 80% female.
• Heavy internet users with over 70 percent accessing online more than eight times a week.
• Over 70 percent capital cities dwellers
• Almost three-quarters employed
• Made up of 50 percent “big spenders”.

(Other information sourced from Roy Morgan June 09, Nielsen Online Market Intelligence, Nielsen Online Site Census, NDM Digital Insight Report 3(Feb 09) )