More Consumers pay attention to inserts & circulars.

Vertis Communications announced the results of its proprietary Vertis Customer Focus 2008: Retail study, which reveals that 47 percent of Americans believe inserts and circulars are the advertising vehicles that best capture their attention; a 9 percent increase since 2003. The data also shows that inserts and circulars have overcome
television advertising as the medium most able to elicit consumer attention.

Forty-three percent of respondents said television advertising best piqued their interest, a 10 percent drop from the numbers reported five years earlier. Meanwhile, 38 percent of adults reported newspaper advertising is most grabbing, down from 45 percent in 2003.

“This research proves advertising inserts and circulars are a valuable marketing tool, even in a day and age when consumers are constantly being bombarded by marketing messages,” said Scott Marden, director of marketing research for Vertis Communications. “The fact that inserts and circulars are more efficient at capturing consumers’ mind share than television, radio, display advertising and any other medium is clear indication that savvy marketers should take advantage of the shift to drive greater ROI.”

As further evidence of the value of inserts and circulars, 93 percent of consumers who read them use the pieces for more than just price comparisons. Specifically, the study finds that more than 50 percent of those who read them do so for at least three reasons: clipping coupons, assisting in making shopping lists for upcoming trips to the store, and browsing for new products or styles.

Additionally, 45 percent of respondents use inserts to look for recipes, while 37 percent claimed they help steer shopping trips the same day they read the insert.

Inserts and Circulars Also Most Influential in Swaying Buying Decisions

• 27 percent of shoppers said that inserts and circulars are the advertising vehicles most likely to directly impact buying decisions (See Slide A)

• Television advertising and newspaper advertising were the number two and number three most trusted advertising vehicles, with 19 percent and 12 percent of those surveyed, respectively (See Slide A)

• Only 9 percent of respondents selected the Internet as the most influential mediums, and e- mail advertising was the least popular choice (selected by a mere 1 percent of respondents) (See Slide A)

Broad Spectrum of Readers Find Multiple Uses

• 55 percent of insert readers still rely on the medium to help determine the products they buy; 51 percent use them to help compile shopping lists, and 50 percent pull them out
when browsing for their preferred new product style (See Slide B)

• Those who make the most money are still looking for ways to save. 55 percent of insert readers who earn between $50-75,000 per year, as well as 51 percent of those who earn more than $75,000, clip coupons (See Slide C)

• Suburbia is the locale most likely to see its denizens utilize inserts to guide purchase decisions, with 59 percent of suburban residents stating they use circulars to clip coupons and 52 percent using them to browse for new styles (See Slide D)

Inserts and Circulars Drive Buying Decisions

• In the past four years, the number of insert readers who use inserts and circulars to help decide which groceries to buy rose from 52 percent in 2004 to 59 percent (See Slide E)

• The media continue to have influence in other categories as well, with 51 percent of respondents using them when purchasing clothing, 48 percent to guide home electronics decisions, 43 percent when selecting home improvement products and 36 percent when buying major appliances (See Slide F)

• 54 percent of those age 18-34 responded that they use inserts and circulars to help select which items end up in their shopping cart, up from 47 percent in 2004 (See Slide G)

• Not surprisingly, the group most likely to utilize inserts or circulars were insert readers aged 50 and older; 63 percent of this group indicated they use inserts, an 8 percent increase in the past four years (See Slide H)

To view charts CLICK above on ‘More Images’.