| The New York Times, Thomson Reuters and Mediavest Announce New ‘Global Multipliers’ Study |
NEW YORK, Feb. 9, 2009 – A new study commissioned by the research groups of The New York Times, Thomson Reuters and MediaVest, a leading communications and media company, has identified “Global Multipliers” as an important segment of consumers for domestic and global marketers seeking to optimize returns on investment. Global Multipliers – who represent approximately 20 million adult consumers worldwide in such diverse countries as Argentina, the UK, China, India and the United States – exert significant influence in categories such as travel, luxury, finance, electronics and Green products. “Multipliers influence and spend in amounts that are hugely disproportionate to their population size,” says Jim Kite, president of insights, research and analytics, MediaVest. “In fact, when you take into account what they spend and how much they influence, Multipliers account for $172 billion in global travel spending, influence 16 percent of the world’s electronics purchases and spend $51 billion in green products in the United States.” Global Multipliers have large and vibrant social networks, a key component of their ability to influence the purchasing behavior of others. In a typical week, Multipliers communicate with about 50 percent more people than average consumers, both in person and online. Since they make nearly two and a half times as many recommendations per week as the average consumer, reaching Multipliers can extend the potential impact of marketing campaigns, which makes them even more valuable during an economic downturn. “When the economy slows, buying becomes a riskier proposition for consumers,” said Denise Warren, senior vice president and chief advertising officer, The New York Times Media Group. “That makes Multipliers an even more compelling target – not only do people go to them more for advice, but their own spending generally holds steady.” Global Multipliers are on the cutting edge of new technology and use digital media to influence others well beyond their immediate circle of local contacts. They send and receive 1.6 billion e-mails and 1.2 billion text messages every day and post 331 million blog entries every week. “The exciting thing about Global Multipliers is the way they act as conduits for bringing new ideas and global trends into their local spheres of influence,” said Sumita Singh, senior vice president, customer management, Thomson Reuters. “These are people who are both highly effective in influencing attitudes and purchase behavior within their local circles, and at the same time are plugged into what is happening around the world. Global Multipliers are the crucial ‘one degree of separation’ between marketers and the market.” The research provides ways that marketers can reach and influence Global Multipliers. It shows that while there are clear differences across cultures, Multipliers around the world share behaviors and attitudes that can help marketers create a globally scalable, but locally relevant, marketing strategy. The study was based on extensive research of 4,000 individuals consisting of an online survey and one-on-one interviews conducted in 10 cities around the world. For a white paper detailing the findings of the research, including in-depth analyses by market and by individual product categories, please contact Alexis Buryk, senior vice president, advertising, The New York Times, at 212-556-4104; or alexb@nytimes.com.
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Contacts: Pat Eisemann, 212-556-8719; eisemp@nytimes.com |