Print delivers higher spenders

New research finds heavy consumers of print are richer, better educated, and more likely to spend money than big consumers of radio or TV.

The Roy Morgan study, circulated to the industry by Two Sides Australia, analysed the behaviour and demographics of big consumers of different kinds of media.

It shows big readers of newspapers, magazines and direct mail are more likely to have a university degree than the average Australian, earn at least $5000 a year more, and are more likely to be in the top 20 per cent of the socio-economic scale.

They are also 4-12 per cent more likely to be big spenders (in the top third of the population in terms of their discretionary expenditure), slightly more willing to try different products (except, unsurprisingly, newspaper readers), and to trust print as a good source of financial advice.

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Heavy catalogue readers earn less, are less educated and have a lower socio-economic status, but are among the most willing to try different products.

By contrast, heavy radio and TV consumers are dramatically less educated and wealthy than average, 4-7 per cent less likely to be big spenders, eight per cent less likely to have a high socio-economic status, and have little trust in the financial advice of TV or radio.

The only category radio and TV is competitive with print is in its consumers readiness to try different products, which is dead on the national average for both.

“If we look at the profile of heavy print media consumers compared to those of commercial radio and commercial television we see important differences,” Two Sides says.

“Typically those reading greater quantities of print are more likely to be better educated, have greater household income and higher socio-economic status than those who consume more commercial electronic media.”

The research summary is circulated as an example of the kind of data printers can access if they sign up to the Value of Paper and Print campaign.