Contact Information: Contact: Chrissy Wissinger BIGresearch 450 West Wilson Bridge Road Suite 370 Worthington, Ohio 43085 (614) 846-0146
COLUMBUS, OH--(Marketwire - August 12, 2008) - McCain and Obama continue to battle it out in
a competition that is sure to be a photo finish while pumping more money
into advertising such as TV ads and text messaging campaigns. As political
strategists are packaging up the candidates like products, they should pay
close attention to what media influences purchase decisions. Especially
important are the media preferences of undecided voters who appear to be on
track to decide the election in November, according to an analysis of
BIGresearch's (http://www.bigresearch.com) Simultaneous Media Survey (SIMM
12, Jun 08).
In a connected world, it's not surprising that voters are regularly using
their cell phones; 57.3% of Obama voters, 53.3% of McCain voters and 54.4%
of undecided voters say they do so. Over a quarter (26.6%) of Obama voters
say they text message on a regular basis, a percentage that may increase
now that the Democratic candidate vows to notify supporters via text of his
VP pick. 20.8% of those undecided also use text message; a group of voters
who may also be eager to hear his choice. On the other hand, McCain has
gone the more traditional advertising route, investing more money in
Olympic TV commercials than his opponent.
So what types of media buys are more likely to not only reach, but sway
undecided voters less than three months out from the election? According to
the analysis, Word of Mouth is the most influential media of influence
among undecided voters (36.1%), so money used to ramp up grassroots efforts
would be well spent. Newspaper (20.2%) and TV (19.6%) round out the top
three traditional medias most likely to influence those who are still
making up their minds. Text messaging is much further down the list as only
1.8% say it influences them to purchase.
For complimentary lists including new media usage and media influence to
purchase, please click the following link: http://info.bigresearch.com/.
"Presidential candidates are ultimately brands and their strategists need
to understand the changing media preferences of consumers who are casting
ballots in November," said Gary Drenik, President of BIGresearch. "With the
election inching closer, it's no longer about brand awareness, but
influencing people, especially undecided voters, to purchase/vote for a
candidate."
About BIGresearch
BIGresearch is a consumer intelligence firm providing analysis of behavior
in areas of products and services, retail, financial services, automotive,
and media. BIGresearch's syndicated Simultaneous Media Survey (SIMM) is
focused on consumers to gauge their consumption across media, products and
services. Marketers can use SIMM to develop the types of consumer-centric
marketing plans required to increase advertisers' ROI. The SIMM monitors
more than 15,000 consumers twice each year. BIGresearch also conducts the
Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey (CIA) of more than 7,500 consumers
monthly.
BIGresearch's methodology provides the most accurate consumer information
in the industry with a margin of error of +/- 1 percent.
http://www.bigresearch.com