Scarborough Research Connects E-Reader Devices with Higher Rates of Newspaper Readership

NEW YORK, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer and media research firm Scarborough Research released new data regarding adults who live in E-Reader Households, defined as a household in which one or more adults own or plan to buy an e-reader such as Amazon.com®'s Kindle™ or Barnes & Noble®'s Nook™. This data analysis examines the nearly nine million adults within the four million households that own or plan to buy an e-reader device.

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Newspaper Readership

The Scarborough analysis found a strong relationship between e-reader devices and newspaper readership:

• The vast majority (78 percent) of adults in E-Reader Households(1) read a newspaper in print or online during the past week, versus 71 percent of all adults. They are 11 percent more likely than the average adult to do so.
• Forty-one percent of adults in E-Reader Households visited a newspaper website during the past month, compared to 27 percent of total adults. They are 48 percent more likely than all consumers nationally to have visited a newspaper website during this timeframe.
• Adults in E-Reader Households are nine percent more likely than all adults nationally to have read a printed newspaper during the past week. Nationally, 71 percent of adults in e-reader households read a daily or Sunday paper during the past week, versus 65 percent of all adults.
• Half (50 percent) of these consumers read a Sunday printed newspaper on an average Sunday, as opposed to 46 percent of total adults.

"E-reader devices are becoming an important technology for millions of Americans and our data confirms their emergence as a natural companion to newspapers," said Gary Meo, senior vice president of digital media and newspaper services for Scarborough Research. "At this point, many newspaper publishers are determining strategies for making their content available on e-reader devices, and this is creating a new opportunity to monetize content and increase readership."

Media Websites

Scarborough found that other types of media websites also have the potential to benefit from e-reader devices.  Affinity for these devices applies to those who consume television and radio content as well. According to Scarborough:

• 41 percent of adults who live in E-Reader Households visited a broadcast television website during the past month; they are 42 percent more likely than other adults to do so.
• 18 percent of adults who live in E-Reader Households accessed a radio station website during the past month; they are 38 percent more likely to visit a radio station website.
• Adults who live in E-Reader Households are more likely than other adults to access a wide variety of cable news websites for news and information, such as CNN.com, FOXNews.com and MSNBC.com.
• And finally, this consumer group is 125 percent more likely to have watched or downloaded a movie online during the past month.

Internet Usage

In examining overall Internet usage, it is perhaps no surprise these consumers are "super users" of a wide variety of online content and that they are avid online shoppers. Adults in E-Reader Households are 86 percent more likely than the average adult to spend 20+ hours online weekly, and more than twice as likely to use the Internet to blog, use auction websites, listen to podcasts or take college courses online.

The Scarborough analysis also found that consumers in E-Reader Households are almost three times as likely as all adults nationally to be among the highest spenders online (spending $2,500 or more annually), and their online shopping interests span a wide variety of categories. Perhaps not surprisingly, they are 121 percent more likely than the average adult to shop for books on the Internet. But they are more than twice as likely to shop for other items such as computer hardware/software, consumer electronics, cultural event tickets, movie tickets, sports logo apparel and wine.

"E-readers initially were designed to make the printed word available on a handheld digital device. But with the introduction of the iPad, plus functionality being added to other devices on the market, the e-reader phenomena has gone beyond the printed word to be a key portal for all types of mobile content – from magazines and newspapers to movies and music," said Mr. Meo. "As these devices continue to grow in popularity, content providers will need to develop strategies and apps that help their brands connect with the emerging e-reader audience."

Demographics

Demographically, adults in E-Reader Households are more likely than average to be ages 25-54, and married with children. They are in higher income brackets and slightly more likely than all adults to be male. These active consumers enjoy a wide variety of athletics, from jogging and biking to golf and basketball. But their true love may be yoga: adults in E-Reader Households are six times more likely than the average adult to enjoy yoga.

Local Markets

Honolulu, Richmond, New Orleans, and Jacksonville are the top local markets for living in an E-Reader Household.  Between seven and nine percent of adults in these markets live in a household that owns or plans to buy an e-reader device.

DATA IS FROM: Scarborough Research, Scarborough USA+ Study, Release 1 2010 (Current Release. Data collected August 2009 – March 2010. Data collection period precedes launch of Apple® iPad™.)

About Scarborough Research

Scarborough Research (www.scarborough.com, [email protected]) measures the lifestyle and shopping patterns, media behaviors and demographics of American consumers, and is considered the authority on local market research. Scarborough's core syndicated consumer insight studies in 77 Top-Tier Markets, its Multi-Market Study and its national USA+ Study are Media Rating Council (MRC) accredited. Other products and services include Scarborough Mid-Tier Local Market Studies, Hispanic Studies and Custom Research Solutions. Scarborough measures 2,000 consumer categories and serves a broad client base that includes marketers, advertising agencies, print and electronic media (broadcast and cable television, radio stations), sports teams and leagues and out-of-home media companies. Surveying more than 210,000 adults annually, Scarborough is a joint venture between Arbitron Inc. (www.arbitron.com) and The Nielsen Company (www.nielsen.com).

(1)  "E-Reader Households" are those households in which one or more adults currently own or plan to buy an e-reader device.

SOURCE Scarborough Research