The newspaper industry is attempting to demonstrate its capability to participate in the digital age. The latest indication is the latest Newspaper Association of America report, which suggests newspaper advertising actually drove online sales. In particular, the study conducted by Google through Clark, Martire and Bartolomeo found consumers used newspaper ads as an early part of the purchase chain. The ad led to the URL, which led to more research, which led to the purchase.
The study supports longstanding research in the confidence consumers hold in newspaper advertising. What the NAA concludes is that print and online advertising are part of an ecosystem, and that shrewd advertisers using all platforms are bound to have the greatest success.
