Social Networking Sites Represent an Attractive Venue for Advertising Apparel Products
RESTON, Va., Oct 15, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- comScore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released the results of a study using its comScore Segment Metrix tool, which showed that heavy U.S. visitors to social networking sites are significantly more likely than average to visit leisure-oriented retail site categories, such as music, jewelry/luxury goods/accessories, consumer electronics and apparel. Heavy social networking visitors are defined as the top 20 percent of visitors based on time spent on social networking sites.
Heavy Social Networkers Flock to Leisure-Oriented Retail Site Categories
More than 95 percent of heavy social networkers visited retail sites in August, compared to 80 percent of the total U.S. Internet audience. These heavy social networkers exhibited a particularly high tendency to visit the more leisure-oriented retail categories, including those featuring entertainment (music, tickets, books and movies), fashion (apparel, jewelry/luxury goods/accessories), and retail technology (consumer electronics, computer software and hardware).
Top Retail Site Categories Among Heavy Social Networkers
August 2007
Total U.S. - Home/Work/University Locations
Source: comScore Segment Metrix
Heavy Social
Visitors that Networkers
are Heavy as a
Social Percentage Heavy Social
Retail Site Total Unique Networkers of Total Site Networker
Category Visitors (000) (000) Visitors Index*
Total Internet 181,257 23,595 100.0 100
Retail Sites 145,778 22,516 15.4 119
Music 23,985 6,825 28.5 219
Jewelry/Luxury
Goods/Accessories 17,125 4,531 26.5 203
Apparel 61,184 15,157 24.8 190
Tickets 42,893 10,530 24.5 189
Consumer Electronics 49,110 11,714 23.9 183
Sports/Outdoor 29,208 6,965 23.8 183
Computer Software 24,132 5,716 23.7 182
Books 62,276 14,700 23.6 181
Movies 27,043 6,316 23.4 179
Computer Hardware 67,449 15,288 22.7 174
* Heavy Social Networker Index = Percentage of heavy social networkers/percentage of total Internet audience x 100; Index of 100 represents parity
"This analysis is consistent with the findings of a comScore study conducted last year, which showed that visitors to social networking sites are more receptive to online advertising for leisure-oriented retail categories," said comScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni. "There appears to be a natural synergy between the leisure categories and social networking sites. People typically enjoy sharing their experiences with these products, whether it's to talk about their new iPhone or the pair of designer jeans they just bought. Social networking sites offer the venue for those conversations to occur."
Young Adult Fashion and Apparel Sites Attract Heavy Social Networkers
The current study also examined which individual sites attracted the highest percentage of visitors from the heavy social networking segment, revealing that the heavy social networkers have a strong propensity to visit retail apparel sites. In fact, each of the top ten ranked sites were fashion and apparel sites oriented to young adults, including well known brands like Hollister, Pac Sun, and Abercrombie & Fitch, among others.
Top Retail Sites* Among Heavy Social Networkers
August 2007
Total U.S. - Home/Work/University Locations
Source: comScore Segment Metrix
Heavy Social
Visitors that Networkers
are Heavy as a
Social Percentage Heavy Social
Retail Site Total Unique Networkers of Total Site Networker
Category Visitors (000) (000) Visitors Index**
Total Internet:
Total Audience 181,257 23,595 13.0 100
TattooJohnny.com 1,040 579 55.7 428
Alloy 6,987 3,614 51.7 397
HollisterCo.com 2,520 1,268 50.3 386
HotTopic.com 1,476 735 49.8 382
PacSun.com 1,670 803 48.1 370
Wetseal Inc. 1,518 697 45.9 353
Forever 21, Inc. 1,828 795 43.5 334
Aeropostale.com 1,707 741 43.4 333
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. 2,704 1,173 43.4 333
AE.com 3,475 1,486 42.8 329
* Based on retail sites with at least 1 million unique visitors in August 2007
** Heavy Social Networker Index = Percentage of heavy social networkers/percentage of total Internet audience x 100; Index of 100 represents parity
"Apparel retailers -- especially those geared towards younger consumers -- can benefit by considering the use of social networking sites as a marketing channel," continued Mr. Fulgoni. "Savvy retailers understand that e-commerce represents only one component of the incremental sales that result from online advertising efforts, and that the Internet is a powerful medium for brand-building and driving in-store sales."
About comScore
comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world. This capability is based on a massive, global cross-section of more than 2 million consumers who have given comScore permission to confidentially capture their browsing and transaction behavior, including online and offline purchasing. comScore panelists also participate in survey research that captures and integrates their attitudes and intentions. Through its proprietary technology, comScore measures what matters across a broad spectrum of behavior and attitudes. comScore analysts apply this deep knowledge of customers and competitors to help clients design powerful marketing strategies and tactics that deliver superior ROI. comScore services are used by more than 700 clients, including global leaders such as AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo!, BBC, Carat, Cyworld, Deutsche Bank, France Telecom, Best Buy, The Newspaper Association of America, Financial Times, ESPN, Fox Sports, Nestle, Starcom, Universal McCann, the United States Postal Service, Verizon, ViaMichelin, Merck and Expedia. For more information, please visit http://www.comscore.com.
SOURCE comScore, Inc.
http://www.comscore.com
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