OPA: Web No. 1 Daytime Media, Extends Impact of other Media

Web media is the dominant at-work media (with 54.6 percent reach, compared with television’s 21.1 percent) and is second in the home (after TV) - and it is also the first-ranked daytime media - writes CNET (via MarketingVOX), citing an Online Publishers Association (OPA) report (pdf) based on research by Ball State University’s Center for Media Design. The research found that the web increased the reach of television by a remarkable 51 percent in the morning, 39 percent in the middle of the day, and 42 percent in the afternoon. According to a conservative estimate from the study, overall 17 percent of media is consumed via the internet.

Top Few Percent of Queries Drive Half of Site Searches

A mere 4 percent of all unique search queries accounted for more than half of all site searches - and for e-commerce sites, just 2 percent of search queries comprised more than half of searches - according to a Patricia Seybold Group study using WebSideStory clients’ anonymous data from April, writes ClickZ (via MarketingVOX). E-commerce, lead-generation, and media sites were equally represented.

Outsell: Choosy Information Workers Choose Google

Information workers are relying more and more on Google and less on competitors Yahoo and MSN, writes MediaPost (via MarketingVOX), citing a report from Outsell, Inc. In February, Google was the preferred search engine for 74 percent of information workers, up from 64 percent in January 2005. The proportion of corporate users who preferred Google increased from 65 to 75 percent.

Online Gaming Growing, Second Only to Board Games

Online gaming is the preferred way to play for nearly a quarter of U.S. adults, who prefer it to packaged software games, TV game shows and mobile devices, according to a new study by market researcher Synovate, conducted for casual-gaming destination Vendare Media’s Uproar network, MarketingVOX reports. When asked which type of game play is “most rewarding to you,” nearly two out of five (39 percent) chose traditional board games. However, at 24 percent, online gaming emerged as the clear second choice, followed by packaged software games (18 percent) and TV game shows (15 percent). Only 3 percent said mobile devices, an emerging platform, was their favorite way to play.

Outdoor Ad Rev Continues to Grow

Outdoor advertising industry revenue increased in the first three months of 2006, accounting for $1.4 billion in total spending, according to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America.

First-quarter revenue for 2006 is eight percent higher than the same period in 2005. Historically, according to MediaPost, the last and first quarters are slow for outdoor advertising. For example, the first quarter of 2005 enjoyed a more modest 2.9 percent increase over first-quarter 2004.

Fox News Radio Sees Huge Affiliate Bump

Fox News Radio has increased its number of affiliates from 58 to more than 330 in its first year, including 24 of the top 25 markets, Billboard Radio Monitor reports. Premiere Radio Networks sold out 95 percent of the network’s inventory to advertisers such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, Michelin and UBS Financial Services.

Vertis Acquires USA Direct

Advertising company Vertis has acquired USA Direct, which provides design, printing, personalization, and inserting for a wide variety of specialized formats. The acquisition gives Vertis’ clients access to USA MailNow, a web-based direct marketing order entry tool offering the ability to design and produce direct mail pieces on-line.

World Cup Games to Air on L.A.’s KLYY-FM

Entravision Communications will air World Cup soccer games on KLYY-FM in Los Angeles, making it the first time the games will be heard on an FM frequency in that market, Mediaweek reports.

Upfront Deals at 2 to 4% CPM Bumps

Fox and CBS have completed upfront deals at between two and four percent CPM rate increases, Mediaweek reports. Fox struck some early deals with agencies - Starcom, OMD and Zenith - representing movie advertisers.

Sources at ABC said sales president Mike Shaw had no choice but to alter his hardline position that he would only do business based on Live Plus 7 Day ratings because the other networks had decided to do business using live only ratings, Mediaweek reports. He initially softened his position to Live Plus Same Day ratings, but when the media agencies also rejected that, he decided to do business using live only ratings.

US Open Beats Super Bowl in Top Sponsor Impressions

According to Nielsen Sports’ Sponsorship Scorecard, JP Morgan Chase, top sponsor of the U.S. Open Men’s Final on CBS, achieved more impressions per hour among adults 25-54 than did the top sponsor of ABC’s Super Bowl, Motorola, Brandweek reports.