DCLK Doubleclick (MM)

DoubleClick Third Annual 'Touchpoints' Study Shows Continued Influence of Online Media in Purchase Process -- Relative to Television and Print Advertising, Internet Holds its Own -- NEW YORK, July 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- DoubleClick Inc. (NASDAQ:DCLK), the leading provider of marketing tools for advertising agencies, marketers and web publishers, today announced the results of its third annual Touchpoints Survey. The findings show the importance consumers attribute to many Internet channels (websites, email, search) with regard to their impact on awareness, information gathering and purchase decision, even compared to traditional media such as TV and print ads. This year's study demonstrates consumers' continued influence of, and reliance upon, online media in each stage of the purchasing process, from initial awareness through product selection and purchase decision. As part of the survey, DoubleClick asked consumers about their purchases (both online and offline) within the last six months in the following ten categories: Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Credit Cards and Banking, Home Improvement Products, Investments and Mortgages, Movies, Personal/Home Care, Prescription Drugs, Telecom Services and Travel. The survey examined the sequence of how consumers first learn about products in these categories, how they further learn about them and which factor most influenced their purchase decision. Significantly, even relative to TV and print advertising, the Internet shows great strength in influencing purchases. When asked which touchpoints most influenced their purchase decision, respondents cited websites as more important than TV advertisements in seven out of 10 product/service categories. Web marketing programs collectively (web ads plus opt-in email programs) also outranked TV ads in three categories (Travel, Banking and Credit Cards, and Investments and Mortgages). Other Key Findings *Official Company Websites Are the Top Stop for 'Further Learning' In eight out of the 10 categories, respondents cited the official website of the manufacturer or service provider as one of their top four choices as a resource for learning more about a product in which they were interested. *As a Cumulative Media Channel, the Internet's Impact on Purchase Decisions Is Obvious Taken individually, Internet channels such as websites, online advertising, search engines and email can have a strong effect on consumers' purchase decisions, but collectively the power of all those marketing channels is even stronger. This is most apparent in the Travel category, where 67% of respondents cited one of those Internet vehicles as what brought the fare or promotion to their attention in the first place. *'Word of Mouth' Is the Most Consistent Factor in Purchase Influence When looking at the top-four influences that respondents cited for both their initial awareness of the products they eventually bought and their ultimate purchase decision, only one factor shows up for nine out of 10 categories: "word of mouth." The challenge for marketers, then, is to reach those hyper-influencers who influence the rest of us. "The latest Touchpoints survey reminds us that the Internet has maintained its seat at the table in the purchase process, relative to traditional marketing methods such as TV and print," said Doug Knopper, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Online Advertising at DoubleClick. "Even when 'word of mouth' reigns supreme over the purchase decision, marketers should still try to 'influence the influencers' and leverage the wide range of interactive marketing tools at their disposal." Methodology This third version of the study was fielded in December of 2004. ROI Research helped DoubleClick manage this research project. Survey respondents were solicited from Greenfield Online's opt-in panel of research participants, weighted to reflect norms of the U.S. population. A total of 2,110 U.S. adult (18+) Internet users completed the survey. For a copy of the study, please contact your DoubleClick sales representative or email About DoubleClick Inc. DoubleClick is the leading provider of solutions for advertising agencies, marketers and web publishers to plan, execute and analyze their marketing programs. DoubleClick's marketing solutions - - online advertising, search engine marketing, affiliate marketing and email marketing, - - help clients yield the highest return on their marketing dollar. In addition, the company's marketing analytics tools help clients measure performance within and across channels. DoubleClick Inc. has global headquarters in New York City and maintains 22 offices around the world. DATASOURCE: DoubleClick Inc. CONTACT: Jenny Connorton of DoubleClick, +1-212-381-5183, or Web site: http://www.doubleclick.com/

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