TIME TO HIT THE STORES: BURST MEDIA SURVEY SHOWS PARENTS WILL
NOT BE CUTTING BACK ON BACK-TO-SCHOOL SPENDING
Two-Thirds Still Plan to Shop Before School Starts This Year
Burlington, MA—July 15, 2010 - Burst Media, (www.BurstMedia.com), a leading provider of advertising representation, services and technology to independent Web Publishers, today released the results of a back to school shopping survey of more than 1,900 adults who identified themselves as a parent or guardian of a school-aged child. The survey found that consumers will not cut back on back-to-school spending, as more than half (54.4%) plan to spend more or at least the same amount on back-to-school clothing and supplies as they did last year. Shoppers for college kids will be the biggest spenders this season, with more than one-quarter (26.2%) stating they will spend at least $500 or more.
The Burst study found that moms and female guardians comprise the majority (63.4%) of primary shoppers for the back-to-school season. The study also found that the Internet will be a shopping tool for back-to-school consumers, with nearly half (48.9%) saying they will use it to research and/or purchase products as they get ready for the school year. Additionally, Internet advertising will influence consumers' purchase behavior, as 47.1% of respondents report that they are influenced by online advertisements geared towards the back-to-school season. Four out of five (79.3%) say online back-to-school coupons or promotions would or could influence their purchase decisions.
"The Internet plays a significant role in the back-to-school shopping season," said Mark Kaefer, Marketing Director at Burst Media. "More than a shopping tool, it also offers savvy marketers the opportunity to get their message to highly targetable audiences and influence purchase decisions with advertising creative that offer time-sensitive coupons and promotion codes."
The Burst study also explored the factors parents believe influence their child's brand and product preferences. Not surprisingly, parents/guardians overall believe they are the major influencers in their children's clothing and product preferences (41.0%). However, as kids grow older, respondents feel that influence lessens. Other key factors that play a significant role in shaping brand and product preferences include friends (36.9%); television, movies and/or music (24.2%); advertisements (23.1%) and brand names (22.8%).
Two-thirds (65.9%) of respondents have not completed their back-to-school shopping yet. One-quarter (23.6%) say they will have their shopping complete by mid-July, and 10.5% do not plan to shop this season.
About Burst Media
An online media and technology company founded in 1995, Burst Media (www.BurstMedia.com) is a leading provider of advertising representation, services and technology to independent Web Publishers. Burst Media enables advertisers to reach finely segmented, engaged consumers as they visit Burst's extensive number of interest-based sub-channels. Through its media divisions Burst Network, Burst Direct and Giant Realm, the company represents one of the broadest and deepest offerings of interest-based websites online. Burst also markets its ad management platform, adConductor™, which empowers content websites, online ad networks, and web portals to manage the complete process of ad sales and service. Burst Media is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, with offices throughout the United States and in London, UK. For more information, visit www.BurstMedia.com or call 781.272.5544.
