More Filipinos turn to print media for news

Newspaper readership in the upscale socio A and B groups has increased to 64 percent this year from 56 percent last year, boosting the relevance of newspapers as the number one preferred media despite the equally increasing number of consumers using the Internet.

This was revealed in the fourth annual Synovate Media Atlas, an in depth perspective on Filipino consumers across all socio-economic groups to give marketers, advertisers and media agencies deep insights to improve brand building and sales effectiveness.

The survey was conducted in the second half last year and first half this year with more than 8,000 consumers inteviewed nationwide.

Synovate global executive director of mediate Steve Garton said the survey showed that among the print media, newspaper preference has been increasing over the years.

The survey showed the upscale socio A and B groups reading newspapers have increased from 56 in 2006-2007 to 64 percent in 2008-2009, driven largely by the growing number of office copies or office subscriptions.

“This is a very good story for newspapers,” Garton said.

Garton added that newspapers have always been important because, first, it is on demand media, it does not disappear and always available.

“Many marketers are talking about a flight to quality, and newspapers are showing their increased importance as a good medium to reach those who have money to spend,” Garton said.

Sunday newspapers, both English and Tagalog, turned in strong performances, the survey showed.

For the first time, over half or 53 percent of the AB socio audience read a Sunday paper. A review of readership numbers also showed demand for general interest magazine, while magazine consumption as a whole has remained steady.

On the TV front, 55 percent of respondents currently have pay or cable TV, an increase of 4 percent from 2007/2008 survey.

Terrestrial TV viewership remained at near saturation levels, with 98 percent relaxing in front of the TV in the past week.

The latest results of Media Atlas show print and TV in demand.

Internet access in the Philippines stands at 40 percent, and most log on everyday. In the Greater Manila area, 46 percent of respondents have access. When different age categories were compared, the younger segment turned out to be the highest at 60 percent.

More people access the web from an Internet café (54 percent) than at home (47 percent), followed by at work (17 percent).

The survey also revealed a shift toward broadband away from dial-up as connection to the Internet from home. Wired broadband/hi-speed showed a 12 percent increase to 48 percent in 2008/2009 study.

“E-mail, chatting, and games are the main passions, with 70 percent of online consumers engaging in these activities. Eighty-one percent indicated they maintain multiple social network accounts, while a similar percentage said they uploaded and downloaded music from the Internet,” Garton said. –Daily Tribune