Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal Marketing & PR Blogs -> Larry Bodine's LawMarketing Blog

OR PHONE (866) 635-1838 for Bankruptcy Help, (866) 635-6190 for Divorce,
(866) 635-2689 for Personal Injury or (866) 635-9402 for Criminal Defense

Find a Local Lawyer

Bankruptcy (866) 635-1838
Divorce (866) 635-6190
Personal Injury (866) 635-2689
Criminal Defense (866) 635-9402

Legal Marketing & PR

: Larry Bodine's LawMarketing Blog

Decision-makers Rely More on the Internet than Print Trade Publications

By Larry Bodine

ADVERTISEMENTS

The Internet is the top source of information by decision makers in seven industries -- more so than print trade publications -- according to a recent Starch Information Sources Study. The research was sponsored by The Canadian Business Press to measure the effectiveness of specialized business publications versus other information sources.

Recognizing that Canada is generally a microcosm of the U.S. marketplace, the data developed in this study should guide market and media planning in the U.S.

Importance of Information Source For ALL MARKET SECTORS, (2010 Ranking)
	2010
Information Source	Very Useful	Average	Rank
The Internet	76%	7.6	1
Specialized Business Publications or Industry Newspapers	67	7.0	2
Trade Shows	67	7.1	2
Conventions/Seminars	56	6.3	4
Salespeople	51	6.2	5
Direct Mail	39	5.5	6
Business Directories	32	4.9	7
General Business Publications	31	4.9	8
Daily Newspapers	30	4.5	9
Specialty Television	21	3.6	10
News Magazines	19	3.7	11
Network Television	18	3.7	12
Radio	18	3.4	12
General Interest Consumer Magazines	17	3.4	14
Source: Starch Research, March 2010

The study included combined unduplicated circulation of the 58 major individual publications serving seven industries:

Manufacturing
Retail
Automotive & Trucking
Information Technology
Construction
Agriculture
Travel/Tourism

Business and professional publications provide reliable, industry-specific news and information as well as being repositories of knowledge on the industries they cover and are the ultimate targeted medium.

As a business-to-business information source, the Internet has shown spectacular growth in influence since first evaluated in 1996. The Internet showed a significant 23 percentage point gain since 2004, which launched it into the top position. Trade shows have shown a gain of 11 percentage points since 2004, and are tied in their overall rating with Specialized Business Publications. Conventions/Seminars showed a gain of 6%.

Percent Reporting Internet Very Useful
Rank ‘10	B2B Information Source	1996	2000	2004	2010
1	Internet	22%	53	53	76
2	Specialized Business Publications	66	66	69	67
3	Trade Shows	60	60	56	67
4	Conventions/Seminars	49	49	50	56
5	Salespeople	58	55	50	51
Source: Starch Research, March 2010